Friday, September 21, 2007

TC 10 Mile Won't Follow Original Route

The Medtronic TC 10 Mile, host of the USA Men's 10 Mile Championships, will not race along its original course, Twin Cities Marathon officials announced today.

The change was necessitated by the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge and on-going clean-up in the area.

As late as Wednesday, TCM officials had held out hope that the original course could still be used for the October 7 race. After meeting with Minneapolis officials yesterday, however, use of the original course, which would have run through the collapse site, was no longer an option.

“We would like to thank officials from the City of Minneapolis, Minneapolis Police Department, Minneapolis Public Works Department, Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board and Metro Transit for the tremendous efforts they are making to ensure the safety of our runners,” TCM executive director Virginia Brophy Achman said in a media release. “The course re-route was designed to create minimal disruptions with maximum safety. We are grateful to the surrounding neighborhoods and to our runners as we implement this temporary change."

The new course -- illustrated by the official map HERE -- will avoid the bridge-collapse area by running along Washington Avenue and through Seven Corners, before descending to West River Parkway and reconnecting with the original route.

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