‘Locals’ part of Medtronic TC distance races
The Medtronic Twin Cities (TC) Marathon ran through Minneapolis and St. Paul Sunday morning, October 4.
And running in that pack of 8,586 runners (4,776 men, 3,810 women) were one runner from Mountain Lake, another from Butterfield, and one from Glencoe with local roots – along with his wife.
+ Former Mountain Lake Public High School cross country and track distance runner, who attended the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to participate in those same two sports, Josh Metcalf, finished 10th overall – the first Minnesotan in the chute – and 10th out of 4,776 male runners. He also finished second out of 679 males in his 40-year-old age group. His time covering the 26.2 miles was 2:24:22 – giving him a 5:31 average pace per mile.
+ Josh Metcalf’s wife, Amy, ran the marathon in 3:23:21, for an average pace of 7:46 per mile. She was 814th overall out of the 8,586 runners, 156th out of 3,810 females and 24th out of 631 females in the 39-year-old age group.
+ Also running in the marathon was Mountain Lake Mayor and former Mountain Lake Public High School cross country coach Mike Nelson. Nelson ran a 3:23:52, which placed him 838th out of all 8,586 runners; 679th out of the 4,776 male runners. He was 49th out of 444 runners in his 53-year-old male age group. Nelson booked the route with an average per mile pace of 7:47.
+ Forty-five-year-old Anders “Andy” Pierson of Butterfield recorded a time of 3:42:36, breaking down for an averageof 8:30 a mile. He finished 1,733 out of 8,586 runners; 1,301st out of 4,776 males. In his age group, Pierson was 147th out of 523 males.
+ Former Mountain Lake Public High School Laker cross country and track distance runner, Brent Friesen of Oak Park, Illinois, son of Cleo Friesen of Mountain Lake and the late J. Herbert Friesen, finished in 3:49:22, breaking down for an average pace of 8:46 per mile. He finished number 2,197 out of the 8,586 total runners, was 1,593rd of the 4,774 male runners, and was 55th out of 296 male runners in his 56-year-old age group.
+ Winning the marathon was 28-year-old Dominic Ondoro of Kenya with a time of 2:11:16. The first female in the chute was Abraha Serkelam Biset, 28, of Albuquerque, New Mexico at 2:31:40, the 17th runner overall to finish.
The marathon was first held in 1982, after organizers merged the City of the Lakes Marathon and the St. Paul Marathon. (The entrance fee cost was $6 that year.)
Running in early October allows runners to take in the beauty and color of the changing fall leaves. In fact, the magazine for runners, “Runner’s World,” has called the race, “The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America.”
In that first year – 1982 – the marathon featured 4,563 runners. But, by last year – 2014 – that number had more than doubled to 11,888. Of those 11,888 who registered, 74% finished the race.
The number of women runners on the course has grown on a steady pace since the start of the marathon. Only 14% of the runners in 1982 were women; that number has grown to today’s 46%.
The highs for this year’s race day were in the 60s – but – the record for the coldest run was in 1987, when temperatures dropped to 23 degrees. In 2002, runners sweat through the streets on a record high temperature of 83 degrees.
The record holder in the men’s race is Iowan Phil Coppess, who finished the course in two hours, 10 minutes and 15 seconds in 1985.
Zinaid Semenova of Russia holds the record in the women’s race. In 2001, she finished the course in two hours, 26 minutes and 51 seconds.
In 1992, two marathoners got married mid-race, exchanging vows at mile marker 20 – crossing the finish line as husband and wife.
Last year, there was a proposal at the marathon, with Tyler Hecht popping the question to Stacy Lahr at the finish line.
The starting line for the race is at 6th Street and Portland Avenue near the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The course passes the chain of lakes and follows Minnehaha Parkway, goes east to West River Parkway, crosses the Mississippi River on Franklin Avenue and then continues on Summit Avenue before finishing at the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul.
There are other races on marathon day in addition to the Medtronic TC-Marathon’s 26.2 miles. These include the Medtronic TC 10-Mile, TC 10K and the TC 5K – as well as Family Running events for runners (and crawlers) of all ages and a Health Fair and Expo.
A number of runners with “local connections” participated in the Medtronic TC 10-Mile.
These runners included:
+ Jay Grandprey of Windom – 484th out of 9,149 overall runners, 360th out of 3,311 male runners with a time of 1:12:31. In his 54-year-old age group, he was 34th out of 329 male runners. This gives him an average mile pace of 7:16.
+ Jared Bargen of Butterfield – Finished the 10 miles in 1:13:55, . This gave him a placing of 582 out of the 9,149 overall runners and 429th out of the 3,311 males. In his 23-year-old age category, Bargen was 91st of 432 males.
+ Jacquelyn Strom of Mountain Lake – Placed overall 4,549 out of the 9,149 runners, 2,339th out of 5,838 female runners and 433rd out of 1,050 32-year-old female runners. She did the route in 1:36:37, for a 9:40 average per mile.
+ Twylla Strom of Butterfield – Completed the 10 miles in 1:33:50; breaking down for a mile average of 9:23. Strom was 3,881 out of 9,149 overall runners, 1870 of 5838 females – and 54th of 214 female runners in her 57-year-old age group.
+ Randall Strom of Butterfield – Ran a 1:36:36, with a 9:40 per mile average pace. He was 4,546 of 9,149 overall runners and 2,209 out of the total 3311 males runners in the race. In his 58-year-old age group, he was the 142nd male out of 238.
+ Retired Mountain Lake Public Elementary music teacher Christine Johnson and her husband, David Johnson of Storden – The couple finished the 10 miles together with a time of 1:43:29. Christine’s time gave her an average pace of 10:21 per mile. She was number 6,087 out of an overall 9,149 runners, 3,442 of 5,838 female runners and 115th out of 214 female runners in her 57-year-old age group. Meanwhile, David also clocked an average of 10:21 per mile. He was number 6,085 out of the 9,149 overall runners and 2,645 of the 3,311 male runners. In his 58-year-old male age group, he was 185th of 238 males.
+ Also running in the 10-mile was the Johnson’s 27-year-old son, Jared Johnson of Plymouth. He finished the 10 miles in 1:18:39, with a 7:52 average pace per mile. Johnson was number 1,071 of the overall, 9,149 runners, 732nd of 3,311 male runners and 129th of the 432 males in his age group.
+ David Johnson’s brother, Dan Johnson of North Mankato, ran the race in 1:36:02; 9:37 pace per mile. He finished number 4,430 of the 9,149 total runners, was 2,172 of the 3,311 males and was 139th of 238 males in his 55-year-old age group.
+ Former Mountain Lake Public Elementary School physical education instructor, Tim Sheehan, now of Hudson, Wisconsin, booked the 10 miles in 1:05:55, for a 6:36 average per mile pace. Sheehan was 168th out of 9,150 total runners, 148th of 3,311 male runners and was 26th of the 537 male runners in his 30-year-old age group.
+ Winning the 10-mile was 19-year-old Mauricio Mendez Cruz of Mexico City, Mexico with a time of 51:23. First female was Nikki Paradis, 26, of St. Paul, 67th overall with a time of 1:00:06.
(If you know of any other participants with local connections who took part in any of the races, send an e-mail and their accomplishments will be added.)