Six Team USA Minnesotans in TCM Events

Six members of Team USA Minnesota will participate in Twin Cities Marathon events this weekend, the organization announced. Three will compete in the USA Men's 10 Mile Championship contested in conjunction with the Medtronic TC 10 Mile.

Andrew Carlson and Jason Lehmkuhle, who finished second and third, respectively, in the 2006 USA 10 Mile Championship, are hoping to finish high in the standings again. Earlier this fall, Carlson placed fourth in the USA Men's 5k Championship, while Lehmkuhle was third in the USA Men's 20k Championship.

Carlson has a 10 Mile PR of 48:51; Lehmkuhle's best is 49:19.

Chris Lundstrom, the 4th place finisher at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon last year, is also entered in the USA 10 Mile. Lundstrom finished 6th in the Pan Am Games marathon this summer. He has a 49:41 PR for 10 miles.

Both Lundstrom and Lehmkuhle are using the 10 mile race at Twin Cities as a tune-up for the U.S. Olympic Men's Marathon Team Trials to be held in New York City on November 3.

Kristen Nicolini Lehmkuhle will run in the Medtronic TC 10 Mile as well, although the race is not a championship event for women. Nicolini Lehmkuhle will be making her debut at the 10 mile distance. In September, she won the Cow Harbor 10K for the second year in a row.

Emily Brown and Antonio Vega will compete in the Medtronic TC 5K race that will be held on Saturday at the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul. Both athletes joined Team USA Minnesota this summer after completing their collegiate careers at the University of Minnesota.

Brown, who was second at the Women Run the Cities 10 Mile last month, has a best in the 5000 meters of 16:28 and in July, posted 16:57 in her first road 5K. Vega has a best in the 5000 meters of 14:10 and earlier this summer ran a road 5K in 14:35.