Andrew Carlson Out of Twin Cities Marathon

Team USA Minnesota's Andrew Carlson who had intended to make his marathon debut at Sunday's Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, has withdrawn due to injury, according to Team USA Minnesota president Pat Goodwin.

A recent MRI showed that the University of Minnesota alumnus has two torn ligaments in his ankle.

The elite distance training program will still be well-represented in the Medtronic TC 10 Mile, also set for Sunday. Six Team USA Minnesota distance runners – including defending women’s champion Katie McGregor – will compete at the USA 10 Mile Championships held in conjunction with the event.

In addition to McGregor, the women’s field will include Meghan Peyton and Emily Brown, with the men’s line-up including Josh Moen, Matt Gabrielson, and Jon Grey. The race begins shortly after 7:00 a.m. in downtown Minneapolis near Mall of America Field.

Jason Lehmkuhle, the 2007 USA 10 Mile runner-up, has withdrawn from the race with a hamstring injury, however.

McGregor won the TC 10 Mile for the sixth time in 2010, a year in which it was also the USA Women’s 10 Mile Championship. She has a personal best in the distance of 53:48. She most recently placed third at the USA 20K Championships on Labor Day.

In 2010, Peyton was fourth in the women’s 10 mile championship. She has posted 55:20 in the distance while Brown has run 56:40 for 10 miles. Most recently Brown finished third at the USA 5K Championships and Peyton was fifth in the 5K on Sept. 18.

Moen makes his return to the USA 10 mile, having finished second in 2009 when the USA Men’s 10 Mile Championship was last at Twin Cities. He posted 46:38 at that race. Earlier this year, Moen was second at the USA 25K Championships in May and then sixth at the USA 8K Championships in June.

Gabrielson is returning to competition after running a personal best 2:13:28 at Grandma’s Marathon in June. He has a best in the 10 mile of 48:54, which he set in 2006 at the Medtronic TC 10 Mile when he won the race.

Grey – who joined Team USA Minnesota in late August after graduating from the College of William and Mary – will make his debut at the championships both as a professional distance runner and at the 10 mile distance. He has run 28:40 in the 10,000 meters on the track.

The event will feature a head-to-head competition between the genders with the women starting ahead of the men’s field in a handicapped format. A $10,000 “Equalizer Bonus” will be awarded to the first USA Champion – woman or man – to cross the finish line in St. Paul. In addition, the championship prize purse totals $60,000, with $12,000 each going to the first male and female.