Defending Champs Returning to TC 1 Mile

Two-time event winner David Torrence and Olympian Anna Pierce will return to defend their USA 1 Mile Road titles at the Medtronic TC 1 Mile in downtown Minneapolis on May 12, event organizer Twin Cities In Motion announced today.

The pair will battle for $22,500 in prize money, plus a pair of $10,000 time bonuses.

Torrence, the men’s record-holder on the Nicollet Mall course, is the lone runner to break four-minutes in the six-year history of the event. The San Francisco resident clocked 3 minutes, 59.3 seconds for his victory in 2009. Last year, Torrence confirmed his mastery of the event winning in 4:04.0.

Torrence’s 2009 barrier-breaking win kept his budding racing career alive, thanks to the $10,000 bonus he earned for his sub-4:00 winning time.

“It was probably one of the biggest breaks for my career as a post-collegiate athlete,” Torrence said in a media release. “At the time, I was unsponsored and living off of prize money from races. By crossing the line first under 4 minutes, I received the generous $10,000 bonus that essentially funded my running career for the next year. The financial security that winning the race brought allowed me to train full time and improve drastically.”

To date, the $10,000 women’s time bonus for a winning time under 4:32.0 has yet to be claimed. Shannon Rowbury, the 2009 champion, has come closest, setting the course record at 4:33.4. Defending champion Pierce, however, has her sights set on a both a win and a course record time in 2011. She won last year’s race in 4:34.6.

“Last year was my first time running the one mile race in Minneapolis, so I understand the course much better this year,” the Mammoth Lakes, California resident said. “I’m anticipating a good race and hope to break the course record. It was a very fun race and I am looking forward to coming back to run it again this year! I was impressed with the waves of runners and the crowds were so supportive.”

The USA 1 Mile Road Championship races are just two of seven waves of racing taking place on May 12, Racing at the Medtronic TC 1 Mile kicks off at 6:50 p.m. on Thursday, May 12, and culminates with the USA Championships races at 7:53 p.m. (women) and 8:03 p.m. (men).

Find more information HERE.