Indoor Marathon Draws Runners From Afar

If you thought this Sunday's Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon at St. Olaf was an event just for Northfielders looking for a unique marathoning experience, you're wrong.

The 5th anuual Zoom! Yah! Yah! boasts a 43-runner field hailing from 16 states. Twenty-one states can claim Zoom! Yah! Yah! finishers over the years -- a number that could reach 26 after this year's race.

Whoever thought running 150 laps around a 282 meter track could be so popular?

The Zoom! Yah! Yah's! men's race this year could be especially compelling, with three-time champion Randy Peterson of Northfield set to battle defending champion and event record-holder Christopher Friedman of Dunlap, Illinois and defending Minneapolis Marathon champion Tom Tisell of St. Paul.

Friedman's record on the St. Olaf balcony oval is 2:51:31.

Race director Dick Daymont tabs Renee Saxman of Rochester as the women's favorite. Defending women's champ Dera Nevin of Toronto has withdrawn from this year's race.

The women's record in the event is 3:07:02 by Amy Yanni of South Dakota.