USA 1 Mile: Torrence, Olympians, Locals

Fast runners return to the Nicollet Mall on Thursday.

Defending men’s champion David Torrence; Olympians Lopez Lomong, Anna Pierce and Christin Wurth-Thomas; and an intriguing mix of emerging local stars headline Thursday night's Medtronic TC 1 Mile, which again serves as the USA 1 Mile Road Championships for men and women.

A prize purse of $22,500, plus a pair of $10,000 “Time Bounties,” if the men’s and women’s champions better four minutes and 4:32, respectively, will greet the elite competitors racing down Minneapolis’ Nicollet Mall on May 13. The elite contests will culminate a full evening of racing for more than 3200 runners and hundreds of spectators lining the course.

“We’re excited about the field we’ve gathered for this year’s Medtronic TC 1 Mile,” Twin Cities In Motion executive director Virginia Brophy Achman said. “With the USA Championship on the line and prize money we’re offering, I think spectators will be in for a treat on Thursday night. Nicollet Mall should be electric when these athletes are racing down the street."

Torrence, the Oakland , California resident who stormed to a lucrative sub-four-minute victory last year, returns in top form. He’ll be challenged by Olympian Lopez Lomong, a former “Lost Boy of Sudan” who has built a triumphant running career out of a desperate childhood. Among the contenders vying for a national championship will be Winona native Garrett Heath , a finalist at the World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Doha , Qatar earlier this year.

Other strong contenders include miling veteran Rob Myers, a two-time USA champion, and steeplechaser Dan Huling and Aaron Aguayo.

In the women’s championship race, Anna Pierce and Christin Wurth-Thomas are expected to battle one-another and set their sights on Shannon Rowbury’s event record of 4:33.4 on race night. Pierce, an Olympian in the steeplechase in 2008 and the number 2-ranked 800-meter runner on the planet last year, has run 4:28.37 for the mile. Wurth-Thomas, a 1500-meter Olympian in 2008, has run 4:27.18 for the distance. Wurth-Thomas and Pierce ranked number 5 and number 6 in the world at the 1500-meter/mile distance last year.

University of Tennessee alumnus Sarah Bowman is a likely contender as is Drake Relays invitational 1500m champ Lauren Hagans, and veteran Amy Mortimer.

Three rising local runners also hope to play a significant role in the women’s race. University of Minnesota alumnus Heather Dorniden, former Burnsville High School star Laura Januszewski and Team USA Minnesota’s Meghan Armstrong are all eyeing fast times and strong finishes. Dorniden began her professional career this winter with a 3^rd-place finish at the USA Indoor Championships at 800m. Januszewski was the runner-up in the invitational 1500m at the Drake Relays last month, and Armstrong, fresh off a 10,000-meter personal best, looks to improve upon her 5^th-place finish at the Medtronic TC 1 Mile last year.

Find more information on the race HERE.

Men’s Field:
David Torrence
Lopez Lomong
Garrett Heath
Robert Myers
Derek Scott
Liam Boylan-Pett
Darren Brown
Jordan Horn
Jordan Fife
Aaron Aguayo
Jonathan Pierce
Michael Hendry
Alex Tatu
Sam Dech
Dan Huling

Women’s Field:
Anna Pierce
Sarah Bowman
Amy Mortimer
Heidi Dahl
Lauren Hagans
Laura Januszewski
Heather Dorniden
Mason Cathey
Colleen Newhart
Meghan Armstrong
Ashley Puga
Lindsay Allen
Annick Lamar
Susanna Rivard
Marie Schofer
Sonja Friend-Uhl
Christin Wurth-Thomas