Charlie vs. Abdi and the Rest of the 10M Field

What do Olympian Abdi Abdiraham and Down the Backstretch editor/publisher Charlie Mahler have in common? (Don't worry, that's not this week's Yes/No question.)

The answer relates to the Medtronic Twin Cities 10 Mile, however, which is taking place this Sunday. In 1999, the race's inaugural year, Mahler climbed to the top of the proverbial podium, running 52:01 to earn a hard-fought TC-10 victory over Sean Mulheron. Our theory is that Abdiraham was so inspired by that race that he toed the line in 2007 -- the first time the race hosted the USA Men's 10 mile championship -- to follow in the DtB founder's footsteps.

Since the TC-10 is again hosting the USA Men's 10 Mile Championships, we would like to know how you think Charlie's 1999 race time will hold up against the 2009 competition. So ...

Yes/No: Will more than 40 runners in the USA 10 Mile Championship run faster than 52:01, Charlie Mahler's winning time of the first TC 10 Mile in 1999?

Abdirahman is back to defend his 2007 TC 10 Mile/USA Championship on Sunday. He'll be challenged by 8:17 steeplechaser Anthony Famiglietti and 2007 TC-10 runner-up Jason Lehmkuhle of Team USA Minnesota. Because it's a USA Championship, the race has attracted a great field and large purse including $10,000 for the winner and $25,000 overall. (Mahler won only a trophy in 1999, we're told.)

Other top runners include Scott Bauhs, Thomas Morgan, Josh Eberly, Team USA Minnesota members Patrick Smyth, and Josh Moen, as well as recent U of M graduate Chris Rombough. Top local elites include Jeremy Polson, Chris Erichsen, Michael Reneau, and Chris Lundstrom.

The full elite list can be found HERE.

The last time the TC 10 Miler was a USA Championship was in 2007. In that race, Abdirahman ran 47:34 and 31 athletes ran faster than 52 minutes.

To play our game, simply type "yes" or "no" into the subject line of an e-mail and send it to us at DtBFantasy [AT] gmail [DOT] com before 7:00 A.M. CDT, Sunday, October 4th. Please put your answer in the subject line of the e-mail and make sure your full name appears somewhere in the e-mail. We will continue to offer a bonus for participants making their debut in Yes/No - a correct answer will be worth two points for any first-time players.

My answer: Yes

The Roy Griak Invitational Pick 10 contest was won by -- there he is again! -- Charlie Mahler with 70 points in a tight battle over Jake Marotz who tallied 68 points.

You can find the all of DtB's contest results and leaderboards at DtB Fantasy Corner.

Good luck and thanks for playing Yes/No on DtB!