Grandma's Stories

Duluth News Tribune stories on Grandma's are here:

Trafeh's win over Meb Keflezighi is HERE.

Kiptoo's record run is HERE.

Worku's win is HERE.

Nelson's win in US Champs Half   is HERE.

John Klecker's win in the Bjorklund Half is HERE.

Minnesota Daily article on TCTC's and former Gopher Stephanie Price running the half marathon at Grandma's is HERE.  Stephanie finished 17th in 1:14.38.7  Full Half-Marathon results are HERE.

Minnesota R.E.D.'s Kelly Brinkman was the top Minnesota finisher in the Half, taking third in 1:11.32.8, right behind US Olympian Desi Davilla, who ran 1:11.25.3 in second.

TCTC's Mike Reneau finished ninth in a PR of 2:13:53. He was the first US finisher. Marathon top finishers are HERE.

St. Paul Pioneer Press story on Grandma's is HERE.

Star Tribune Grandma's stories are HERE and HERE,

Grandma's press release is below:

Mohamed Trafeh claimed another national title by winning today’s 2013 USA Half Marathon Championships and set a new course record while doing so. Trafeh, 28, of Duarte, Calif., ran the fastest ever time on the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon course – 1 hour, 1 minute and 17 seconds, breaking the previous mark of 1:02:19 set by Ethiopia’s Derese Deniboba in 2011.

Trafeh, now an eight-time national champion, also won the half-marathon championship in 2011. The victory earned him $13,500 in prize money – $12,000 for first place and an additional $1,500 bonus for a time under 1:02:00.

Meb Keflezighi, fourth in the 2012 Olympics marathon, placed second in 1:01:22. Defending champion Abdi Abdirahman, also an Olympian last year, finished sixth in 1:02:57.

Adriana Nelson, 33, of Boulder, Colo., claimed the women’s crown with a winning time of 1:11:19. Desiree Davila, a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic marathon squad, placed second in 1:11:26. Nelson wins $12,000 for first place and an additional $1,250 for a sub-1:12:00.

Meanwhile, history was made in the 37^th running of Grandma’s Marathon.

Kenya’s Sarah Kiptoo ran away from the field and broke the 10-year-old women’s course record. Kiptoo, 23, ran a personal-best 2:26:32, bettering the previous mark of 2:27:05 from 2003 by Fira Sultanova.

Kiptoo, making her Grandma’s Marathon debut, claimed the $10,000 winner’s check plus a $10,000 bonus for running sub-2:29:00. She also receives a new Toyota, courtesy of one of the events two presenting sponsors.

Bazu Worku won the men’s championship in 2:11:14 – the fifth fastest in race history. Worku earned $10,000 for the victory plus a $2,000 bonus for finishing in under 2:12:00.

Krige Schabort won his fourth men’s wheelchair title in 1:24:12. Amanda McGrory won her seventh Grandma’s Marathon crown, winning in 1:38:38.

The 2013 Grandma’s Marathon had 7,338 registrants and of those, 5,763 runners started the race and 5,613 finished. The annual Two Harbors-to-Duluth 26.2-mile race had entrants from 40 countries and all 50 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia.

In the 23^rd Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, John Klecker, 25, of Minnetonka, Minn., took the men’s title in 1:09:19, while the women’s race was won by New Zealand’s Mary Davies, 30, with a time of 1:11:07.

A record number of 7,835 people registered for the 2013 Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon with 6,645 runners starting the race and 6,618 finishing.

For complete results, log on to GrandmasMarathon.com. All results are unofficial.