Plan Ahead for MedtronicTC Marathon Events Transportation

Twin Cities In Motion Urges Motorists to Plan Ahead on Race Day
METRO Blue & Green Lines Free for Runners on Sept. 30 & Oct. 1

St. Paul, Minn. – September 26, 2017 – Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon organizer Twin Cities In Motion advises Minneapolis and St. Paul residents on the move on Sunday morning to plan travel ahead of time due to street closures for the 36th annual Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and Medtronic TC 10 Mile on October 1.

On race day, motorists will notice traffic restrictions in downtown Minneapolis starting in the early morning hours on Sunday. An area near the U.S. Bank Stadium from 5th Avenue to 11th Avenue and from 6th Street to 3rd Street will be closed at 5:00 a.m. for start line setup, reopening at approximately 9:00 a.m., ahead of the noon Vikings home game.

Participants and spectators are reminded that northbound I-35W will be closed on Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend for Franklin Ave. overpass demolition, so those driving into downtown Minneapolis are urged to allow extra time to reach the start line or other destinations downtown.

Along the marathon course which runs from downtown Minneapolis, along the chain of lakes to Minnehaha Parkway, up West River Road to the Franklin Bridge, down East River Road to Summit Avenue, and to the finish at the state capitol will prompt rolling road closures on the course itself and limit traffic across it to selected crossing points. The crossing points are listed on the Twin Cities In Motion website at tcmevents.org/transportation.

At the finish area on the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul, following closures are scheduled:

• Summit Avenue between Ramsey Street and Portland Ave. will be closed from Saturday, September 30, at noon through Sunday, October 1, at 6:00 p.m. Traffic will be detoured on Portland Ave to Arundel Street.
• John Ireland Blvd. between 12th Street and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. will be closed Thursday, September 28, at 9:00 a.m. through Sunday, October 1, at 5:00 p.m.
• Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Aurora Avenue will be closed Friday, September 29, at 9:00 a.m. through Sunday, October 1, at 6:00 p.m.

• 12th Street from Wabasha to John Ireland Blvd. will be closed Saturday, September 30, from 5:00 a.m. to noon and on Sunday, October 1, from 5:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Franklin Avenue Bridge crossing the Mississippi River in Minneapolis will be closed to motor vehicle traffic while the 10 mile and marathon use the bridge. The motor vehicle closure is expected to last from roughly 5:45 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

Parking: Motorists are reminded to take note of hooded meters and no parking signs along and near the course. Near the start line, event parking rates will apply on Sunday morning due to the Minnesota Vikings game later in the day. Finish line parking is available on the streets and in various lots around the Capitol grounds in Saint Paul. The Sears store west of the Capitol offers limited Event Parking near the finish line on a first-come first-served basis for $20.

METRO Lines: Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and Medtronic TC 10 Mile runners can ride the METRO Green and Blue Lines for free on Saturday, September 30, and Sunday, October 1, if they display their race bib. Event volunteers can ride METRO Red Line buses or METRO Green and Blue Line trains when they display a date-specific downloadable free ride pass for various times Thursday, September 28 , through Sunday, October 1.

More than 30,000 runners are expected for the 36th annual Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend which includes events on Saturday, September 30, on and near the State Capitol grounds. For more information about the events, visit the Twin Cities In Motion website, tcmevents.org

Ben Sathre wins men’s title, Elizabeth Frick the women’s title at the Red, White & Boom! TC Half Marathon

Red, White & Boom! TC Half Marathon Results HERE
Summary of Half Marathon: Defending champion and event record-holder Ben Sathre of St. Paul and Elizabeth Frick of Eagan won individual titles at the July 4^th  Red, White & Boom! TC Half Marathon, Relay & 5K. Sathre ran the 13.1 mile course in 1:10:14. Frick clocked 1:25:33.  Each earned $500.

“I just tried to have fun,” Sathre explained. “It’s all you can do when it’s hot and humid and it’s 6:30 in the morning.” In better conditions last year, Sathre ran 1:08:14 to establish his event record.

Rounding out the top-three in the men’s competition were Jesus Pardo Moreno of Segovia, Spain (1:13:05) and Nick Harris of Niwot, Colo. (1:13:35).

“I really enjoyed the trivia along the way,” Frick said, referring to signs on the course that quizzed runners about American history. “I’m just thankful for a great day and great support.”

Rounding out the women’s top-three were Lauren Mitchell of Madison, Ala. (1:27:28) and Rachel Anderson of Hudson, Wisc. (1:27:33).

In the half marathon relay division, the team of Mike Haasken and Mike Bester took first in men’s completion with a time of 1:27:52. Candice Schneider and Kandace Schuft won the women’s relay crown in 1:38:40.

The 5K winners were Joe Louiselle of St. Anthony in 16:16 and Maddie Alm of Louisville, Colo. in 17:05.

A total of 3873 runners competed in the eighth annual event which took place under partly sunny skies and humid conditions with temperature in the high 70s. In keeping with its Independence Day theme, the event, staged at Father Hennepin Bluff Park along the Minneapolis riverfront, featured post-race hot dogs, ice cream, yard games, and a Slip N Slide.

“We were pleased host a fun filled race to help people celebrate Independence Day, Twin Cities In Motion Executive Director Virginia Brophy Achman said. “It gives me and our whole staff a lot of pleasure to see so many people enjoy an active holiday. We’re also honored that so many people choose to volunteer time on a holiday for the event.”

In addition to this morning’s event, another 200 runners from across the country competed in the virtual version of the event in recent days, designing their own courses where they chose to spend the holiday.

Naomi Boehm and Joseph Dill Awarded TCIM College Scholarships

Twin Cities In Motion, the organizer of the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and year-round running events in Minneapolis and St. Paul, has awarded Naomi Boehm of Roseville High School and Joseph Dill from Henry Sibley High School the  2017 Twin Cities In Motion College Scholarships 

Boehm and Dill were chosen from a field of more than 100 applicants, based on  their running accomplishments, academic performance, community service, and a personal essay. 

Boehm has a 3.9 GPA, 221 hours of community service and volunteer work, and proven leadership skills as team captain of her cross country team. She is a six time State Meet qualifier in cross country, a two-time All-State Academic Award winner, a four-year Roseville Honor Roll member, and an AP Scholar with distinction. Boehm plans to attend Smith College in Massachusetts in the fall.

Dill also has a 3.9 GPA, more than 370 hours of community service and volunteer work, and proven leadership skills as team captain of his cross country team.  He is a three-time State Meet qualifier in cross country, student council vice president, a National Merit Commended Scholar, and a AP Scholar with Distinction, as well as being a talented cellist. Dill, who plans to study engineering, is still making his college decision.

This is the 17th year that Twin Cities In Motion has awarded scholarships to the metro area’s most impressive male and female distance running scholar-athletes.During that time TCIM has awarded more than $130,000 in college scholarships.  The Twin Cities In Motion College Scholarship Program is one of TCIM’s community outreach initiatives that include the Medtronic TC Kids Marathon, a community-wide effort that inspires healthy lifestyles among children, and the High School Running Shoe Program, which provides running shoes to high school cross country and track athletes in need.

Boehm and Dill will be in attendance at Thursday evening’s Medtronic TC 1 Mile. They will hold the finish line tape for selected race waves.

For more information on the Twin Cities In Motion College Scholarship program, visit tcmevents.org.

Men and Women's Course Records Fall in Hot Dash 10 Mile

Ben Sathre broke the men's course record and Andrea Rediger the women's at the Hot Dash  10 mile in St Paul.

Sathre, 26, the defending men's champion, ran the Mississippi riverfront course which started and finished near Boom Island, in 49:59.  Rediger, 28, clocked 57:24 for the women’s title and event record. 

Sathre used the wind and  40 degree temperature to his advantage. “We had a nice tailwind the first half, so I just rolled into a pace and tried to hold it coming back,” Sathre said. “I just had to stay strong coming back into the wind.”

Rediger also got off to a good start, which paid off in the end. “Right away at the half-mile or so, I knew I was in the lead,” Rediger said. “I hit the mile on my target and I felt good from there. My time was a big personal best for me, so I can’t complain about anything.”

Each earned $500.  Full results are HERE

Twin Cities in Motion Looking for a Professional Athlete Recruiter

Twin Cities in Motion Looking for a Professional Athlete Recruiter HERE

Twin Cities in Motion Contributes $30,000 to Team USA MN

Thank you @twincitiesinmotion for your unwavering support of athlete development programs like @TeamUSAMN! #millionsofmilesbillionsofsmiles

— Meghan A. Peyton (@nutMEGrunner) February 14, 2017

Ben Sathre, Lauren Rice Win Red, White & Boom TC Half Marathon

Red, White & Boom TC Half Marathon Results HERE
5K Results HERE.
Mixed Team Relay HERE

Carissa Dock and Joe Esenther Selected as TCIM 2016 College Scholarship Recipients

Carissa Dock of Waconia High School and Joe Esenther of Holy Family Catholic High School were selected as the 2016 Twin Cities In Motion College Scholarship recipients.

Carissa Dock

Dock earned a 4.0 GPA, logged 510 hours of community service and volunteer work, and was a team captain of her cross country and track and field teams. A talented dancer, she has performed in the Nutcracker with a professional dance company. An All-American track and field athlete at both USATF and AAU Junior Olympics, she plans to attend the University of Minnesota and pursue degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Spanish with a goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon.

Joe Esenther

Esenther has a 3.8 GPA, and 450 hours of community service and volunteer work. He's a team captain of his cross country team. Fascinated by photography from the age of three,Esenther is the cofounder of Midwestern Life Photography. A three-time State Cross Country Meet qualifier, he plans to major in Engineering and Photography at Montana State University.

Seven Act Play at the Guthrie Tonight

While the patrons arrive at the Guthrie Theater in downtown Minneapolis for one of the three plays performed inside the theater a seven act "play" will be happening outside the theater near the banks of the Mississippi River.  The Medtronic TC Mile has seven "waves," separately classified events that finish with  two elite races for the men's and women's USATF Road Mile Championships for 2016.

At the pre-race press conference, several of the elites cracked jokes and tried to avoid giving their opponents any clues or incentives for tonight's championship races.  Stillwater grad Ben Blankenship got one of the biggest laughs of the afternoon by answering the question of what the ideal outcome of the race would be by stating that he wanted to beat defending champion and Winona native Garrett Heath.  It didn't matter, he said, if the pair finished in the last two places, Blankenship said with a grin as he looked at Heath, just as long as he was in front of Garrett.

Nicole Blood said her objective tonight was to win some money.  The recurring theme that all the racers declared was to get the best out of themselves.  The race will be run on a new course for the second year in a row.  TC In Motion's executive director Virginia Brophy Achman noted that feedback from last year's course down Hennepin Avenue was that the runners would like a course with fewer uphills and more downhills.

This year's race starts near the Mill City Museum on an out and back course that finishes on the back side of the Guthrie.  At the athletes' technical meeting, films of the new course along with advice on what to avoid familiarized the elite runners with the terrain and how to avoid areas near manhole covers and sewer grates near tight turns.

The stage was set and beginning at 6:30 PM the first wave/act will commence as a new form of street theater appears at the Guthrie.

Styling, smiling & fast miling on the schedule for @TeamUSAMN today at the #TC1Mile pic.twitter.com/OrsjwxPdoa

— Team USA Minnesota (@TeamUSAMN) May 12, 2016

Elite Athlete Funding News

Elite athlete funding available on both the national and local level.  Info on the Twin Cities in Motion's  MEADP(Minnesota Elite Athlete Development Program) is HERE.

Press release on a memorandum of understanding between USATF and its  Athletes Advisory Committee on how the $9 million allocated by USATF for elite athletes will be distributed is HERE.

TC 5K & 10K Results

What weekend off?! @EricColvin1 wins the TC5K (@tcmarathon) with six #Gophers in the top-10. http://t.co/hDcbOacm3J pic.twitter.com/ACO3BT7ZDk

— Minnesota M CC/TF (@GopherMCCTF) October 3, 2015

5K Results are HERE

10K results HERE

Congratulations to Abbabiya Simbassa first across the #tcmarathon 10k finish line! pic.twitter.com/Lenxvsc4JS

— TwinCities In Motion (@tcmarathon) October 3, 2015

Mike Logan Selected President of Twin Cities in Motion

Mike Logan. Photo courtesy of
Twin Cities in Motion

Twin Cities In Motion has appointed Mike Logan as President. This newly created leadership position was created to foster the continued growth of the organization, which operates 21 events in the Twin Cities including next weekend's Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon races.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mike as president,” said Charlie Fazio, Chair of the TCIM Board of Directors. “His experience forging cross-sector strategic partnerships and relationships will serve the organization as it expands its scope.

 “Twin Cities In Motion is in a strong position, anticipating growth and new partnerships. This reorganization helps facilitate that, allowing the president to become a more active participant in the growth and shaping of our future organization.” 

Mike comes to Twin Cities In Motion from Comcast Corporation, where he has served as Director of External Affairs since 2012. At Comcast he was responsible for various roles including government affairs, community investment, and key stakeholder engagement. 

Prior to Comcast, he founded the Public Affairs Shop LLC, a boutique agency that provided political strategy, communications, institutional fundraising, and crisis management strategy to nonprofit organizations. Mike spent the bulk of his career in various public affairs roles at Target, ultimately serving as the Director of Civic Affairs. 

 Logan is a graduate  Gustavus Adolphus College with a degree in  Political Science and Criminal Justice. As president he will help Twin Cities In Motion continue to explore new avenues for community enhancement and business expansion, including inspiring fitness and wellness among children, families, individuals, and corporations.

TCIM's Virginia Brophy Achman Elected Again to Running USA BOD

TCIM's Virginia Brophy Achman elected again to Running USA Board of Directors HERE

Bird and Montie Awarded TCIM Scholar Athlete Scholarships

Ephraim Bird of Hope Academy and Fiona Montie of Stillwater Area High School were selected as the 2015 Twin Cities In Motion College Scholarship recipients. This is the 15th year TCIM has awarded scholarships to metro area's male and female distance running scholar athletes. 

News: Training Advice for College Freshmen; Supplement dangers; TC Kids

Hassan Mead and other runners give advice to high school athletes who are making the transition to college athletics HERE.

Potential danger of dietary supplements HERE.

Thank you @ginavalgoi @HeatherRaeKampf & Danny Docherty for leading warm ups today. #TCKids. pic.twitter.com/YzToxxospy

— Virginia Achman (@TCMVirginia) February 7, 2015

News: Medtronic Renews TCM Sponsorship; NCAA Weekend Summary/AOW/Rankings; College Results; Mile in My Shoes; Transgender Athletes

Medtronic extends sponsorship of  Twin Cities in Motion events, which include  the Twin Cities Marathon, the TC Family Events, and TC 10 Mile this weekend, for five more years. News release HERE.

NCAA weekend recap from USTFCCCA is HERE.

Three Griak winners selected NCAA Athletes of the Week HERE.

NCAA Regional DI rankings HERE

St. Mary's No Limits Invitational results are HERE.

MPR on the Mile in My Shoes Program HERE.

MPR on the looming and, increasingly politicized, debate over transgender athletes is HERE.

Everybody Was Watching the Weather for the Medtronic TC 1 Mile

Not surprisingly, the main issue going through the runner's minds at the Medtronic TC 1 Mile press conference was the weather.  Race officials noted that they have contingency plans for weather, this is Minnesota after all.  "We have delay plan scenarios and a plan for combining waves to end the race early, as well as cancellation plans if needed."

The various elite runners all expressed the hope that they would catch a break and the predicted storms would miss downtown Minneapolis at race time.  The major weather element that race officials have to contend with is lightening.  "Like with other outdoor sports events, we need to observe the 30-minute rule," wrote Breanne Hegg, Twin Cities in Motion's Marketing and Media Director, in an e-mail response to an inquiry the day before the race about having a "Plan B" for bad weather.  "The event cannot proceed unless the sky has been clear(of lightening) for 30 minutes.  A severe weather watch or warning may affect our ability to hold the event as well."

Ultimately it was a "perfect storm" of circumstances that resulted in the race's cancellation.  The leading factor was the weather, but another key factor was the course.  While weather is the unpredictable element the organizers have to deal with, there are others that, while mostly predictable, are unique to this race course.  As the elites were told in their "technical meeting," a briefing on the key things they need to know about the course, transportation, race timing, etc., about 300 meters into the course are the People Mover tracks.  In order to get safely past the tracks, the various "waves"--groups of runners divided into separate races according to age, ability, championship status, team status--have to start on time to avoid arriving at the tracks the same time the people mover is going across that intersection.

The elite runners were assured that race personnel are in contact with the transportation people who monitor the train's departure and arrival times to ensure no surprises.  Coordinating train scheduling with start times is one of many details that the race organizers have to deal with to ensure everything goes smoothly on race day or evening.. The time that the race course, the Nicollet Mall, is shut down, is an issue. Volunteers who work on the course in a variety of services have to be ready and in place to fufil their responsibilities so the race can be administered smoothly.

Road race courses are permitted as parade routes, same as the St. Patrick's Day celebrations or other events that shut down streets.  That shut down window is smaller for the TC Mile than, say, the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon.  It's not normally a problem, but the storm that hit Minnesota on this race day couldn't have come at a worse time.  A city street isn't quickly or easily turned into a race course.

Start areas, finish areas, timing mats, all have to be built and tended to in order to allow the runners to run the race, get timed, and all the other elements that comprise the event.  Course security, timing clocks, and all the other "pieces" need to be in place and able to be operated safely. Rain is not a problem.  Lightening, high winds and/or tornadoes are.  At this time of year the storms that contain one or more of these elements are often even less predicatble.  Such was the case on Thursday night.  While there were reported cases of tornado touchdowns in other areas, nothing aside from dark skies, some wind, and rain hit downtown Minneapolis.

For most of the day the forecast from the weather service was iffy.  What part of the storm would hit the Twin Cities?  How long would the storm be in the area?  What sort of weather warnings would be in effect?  The runners had been informed of the various possible weather-related issues and the consequences via e-mail and  Twin Cities In Motion's social media feeds on Twitter and Facebook.  Nobody wanted to cancel the race, but when the time to make the final decision came the conclusion was that the risks were too great to allow the race to be run safely.

.Weather warnings were still in effect until 9 p.m., though none of the severe weather they postulated could happen did.  Once the cancellation was announced via press release and social media  e-mails were sent to race participants and the elites.  The pro runners were told that, in addition to their expenses, they would get paid $500 for the loss of the opportunity to race for the $25,000 prize purse.  Social media lit up with reactions and various options that the elite athletes attempted to create.

Ben Blankenship got in touch with coaches at the University of Minnesota to see if any or all of the TC Mile elite field could use the Gopher indoor track for a race or workout.  Will Leer made calls to St. Thomas to see if their track was available.  The Team USA runners and their coach drove to Macalester College and ran a workout on the outdoor track.  None of the indoor facilites were available.

Blankenship called his coach Mark Rowland, who was able to enter him in the Oregon Twilight Meet set for Friday night. Nate Brannen and two others ran a workout at the University of Minnesota outdoor track.  Another group of the elites went for a run in Minneapolis.  "There are no villans in this situation," said Charlie Mahler, Twin Cities in Motion's Media and Communications Manager.  Only the weather.

News Bits: MIAC AOW, USTFCCCA NCAA rankings, Burkstrand, Elliott, MIAC AOW, Walking, Heather Kampf

Des Moines Register recognizes Iowans who performed well at Drake Relays, including Lance Elliott HERE.  National Masters News HERE.

Jennifer Agnew holding up
Certificates for her and twin sister Melissa as
Bismark Quarterback Club Athletes of the Year
for cross country(Jennifer) and track(Melissa)

Meghan Peyton Q& A from TCIM is HERE.

MIAC Athletes of the week: women HERE, men HERE

USTFCCCA NCAA rankings.  DI HERE, DII HERE, DIII HERE.

TCIM Q& A with Travis Burkstrand is HERE.

NSIC week in review and Athletes of the Week HERE.

Study says walking increases creativity HERE.

FloTrack Feature on Heather Kampf  with Ben Kampf and Lance Elliott HERE.

BBC on how running has changed since Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute barrier in the mile is HERE.

Mia Barron in the jump phase
of the triple jump. Photo
by Jim Ferstle

Minnetonka's Mia Barron the only Minnesotan on the T&F News list of top high school marks.  Barron is ranked seventh in the long jump HERE.


http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/triathlon/2014/04/29/mile-posts-weekend-update-katie-flood-robert-mccann-dorian-ulrey-pasca-cheruiyot/8442597/

The Beard is Back

Minnetonka grad and 2014 Wanamaker Mile champion, Will "the Beard" Leer returns to the Medtronic TC 1 Mile on May 6.  He'll be joined by Canadian Olympian Nate Brannen, as well as already announced entrants, such as defending champ/course recordholder and Olympic silver medallist Nick Willis.

The Facial Stylings of Will Leer Through the Years

Additions to the women's field are US 3K 2014 indoor champion Gabe Grunewald and Sara Hall.  Full press release on the additions to the field are HERE.

News Clips: Miller, TCIM/Team USA Minnesota, Bates, Daws 25K, Ferlic, NCAA

Running Times feature on Emma Bates is HERE.

Twin Cities in Motion increases support of Team USA Minnesota HERE.

Minnesota Daily article on Gopher women's thows coach  Peter Miller is HERE.

Snowshoe Magazine on the Ron Daws 25K is HERE.

Mason Ferlic, Mounds Park Academy grad who runs for Michigan, named Big Ten track Athlete of the Week HERE.

Proposed NCAA legislation would limit participation in collegiate meets HERE.