Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Garrett Heath and Gabe Grunewald are Running Medtronic TC 1 Mile

Winona's Garrett Heath and Gopher Gabe Grunewald, who ran for Perham HS,  have been confirmed as entries for the May 14 Medtronic TC 1 Mile.  The race will be run on a new course along Hennepin Avenue in the Theater District and is hosting the 2015USATF Road Mile Championships.

Grunewald, a member of Team USA Minnesota, started her year with a win and a World Championships qualifying time in the 5K at the Stanford Invitational earlier this month.  She is part of the US team that will be attempting to defend their title at the IAAF World Relays in the Bahama's this weekend.  She could take part in two relays at that competition. Heath is the defending US men's champ in the Road Mile and has shown his talent in a variety of events.

In 2013 and last year Heath started his season by winning the Great Edinburgh 4K Cross Country race in Scotland  in January.  He competed both indoors and outdoors and in September finished a successful competitive season by taking the runner-up spot in the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York.  Thus demonstrating the ability to perform at a high level over a long season in a variety of conditions, disciplines, and venues.

Heath's brother, Elliott, is also familar to Minnesotans as he won both MSHSL cross country and track championships while at Winona HS in what was considered a "golden age" for high school distance runners that included standouts such as Hassan Mead and Stillwater's Ben Blankenship. He won the US Junior XC championship in 2007 and helped the US Senior team win a silver medal in the IAAF World XC Championships.  Elliott is recovering from hernia surgery done in late 2014.

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