The 2016 Olympics monopolized our afternoon coverage yesterday, so we'll use this morning's post to bring you up-to-date on the 2009 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon news being made at the yesterday's media events ...De Reuck Could Make History ... 45-year-old, Four-time Olympian Colleen De Reuck made late entrance to the marathon media event, but not because she's a prima donna. Her travel, like that of many elite athletes making their way to Minneapolis/St. Paul, was delayed by the rainy weather.
Upon arrival, we learned from the affable former South African that here longevity in the sport is powered mainly by a love of running and racing.
"I'm just enjoying running, and I think that's why I'm still running races," De Reuck, who won the USA 20K Championship in September, said. "I like the racing aspect of it. Sometimes the training gets a bit hard to do, squashing it in and everything. But it's just great going out there."
A win by de Reuck on Sunday would make easily make her the oldest USA Women's Marathon champion and the oldest winner of the Twin Cities Marathon. She coud pocket a cool $34,000 with an Open, USA Championship, and USA Masters Championship victory on Sunday.
"I just go to a race to run as hard as I can," the mother of two said. "Every race I go to, I just give it everything I have. Some days I have a great race, other days you don't."
Abdirahman is 100% Fit ... You can be forgiven for thinking otherwise, but when Abdi Abdirahman won the 2007 USA 10 Mile Championship at the Medtronic TC 10 Mile in record-setting fashion he was only 60% fit.
That's what the three-time Olympian said yesterday, adding that he's 100% fit this year and look to smash the 47:34 record he established on that muggy day in 2007.
"Being 100%, I think I can run 46 [minutes]," he said matter-of-factly. "I'm fit and I'm ready to go."
Abdirahman recalled that a hip injury slowed him down in 2007, but that his training this summer, pointed ultimately for the New York City Marathon in November, is on target.
"I've been training well, everything's been going well," the Somali-born Abdirahman said. "I was injured in the beginning of the year, which I think was a blessing, because I didn't train as hard as I normally do."
Lehmkuhle on Target ... Team USA Minnesota's Jason Lehmkuhle, who finished second to Abdirahman in 2007, said he's "similarly fit" this year.
In 2007, Lehmkuhle clocked a PR 47:48 at the TC-10 and then went on to finish 5th in 2:12:54 at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trails a month later.
"The build-up has been a little bit different, " Lehmkuhle explained. "I haven't done the exact same workouts, the exact same series, so it's hard to say exactly where I compare, but I'd say, generally, the training's similarly good to what turned out to be a good race for me in 2007."
Like Abdirahman, Lehmkuhle will race the NYC Marathon next month.
Akor is Cold ... Three-time defending Grandma's Marathon champion Mary Akor wasn't part of the media conference line-up yesterday, but we ran into her in the lobby of the TCM headquarters hotel Friday evening.
Her first words: "It's so cold!"
Akor, who has used her ability to race well in warm weather to dominate Grandma's, would prefer race-day weather warmer than Sunday's predicted mid-40 degree temperatures.
Akor was the Twin Cities Marathon runner-up in 2006 and, perhaps, missed her best chance to win Twin Cities in 2007 when the weather was hot but she was battling a cold.
Ahead ... Later today, look to DtB for news and results from today's TC 5K and TC 10K.
On Sunday morning, we'll post links directly to TCM's results pages. (Your editor will be busy doing radio and TV work Sunday morning -- WCCO radio will have live cut-ins beginning at 6:30 a.m., FSN will air a highlight package hosted by Carrie Tollefson and me on Thursday night.) Look for updates and photos to appear on DtB in the afternoon or early evening.
We'll have complete coverage of the event on Monday moring.
No comments:
Post a Comment