Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon Entries to 250 Finishers
(Duluth, Minn.) Downtown Duluth will be the site for hundreds of runners competing in Sunday’s 2nd annual Minnesota Mile Duluth, a Grandma’s Marathon event set to begin at 9 a.m.
The event has four separate divisions (see division schedules below) with the elite athletes competing in the feature race ? Grandma’s Minnesota Mile. A $5,700 prize purse is being offered to the top finishers with the male and female champions each receiving $1,250.
Among the top male runners are Kenyan’s Richard Kandie and David Tuwei. Kandie won the Grandma’s Minnesota Mile St. Paul (4:09) July 22 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds while Tuwei, runner-up at the 2008 Grandma’s Marathon, placed fourth (4:17). California’s Christian Hesch, second at the Minnesota Mile St. Paul (4:15), is also expected to be near the front of the men’s field.
Carrie Tollefson, a 2004 Olympian at the 1500 meter distance, highlights the list of top elite females. Duluthians Kathleen Monaghan and Jen Houck finished first and second, respectively, last year and both are back to contend for the women’s title.
One special feature of the event is the distribution of 250 guaranteed entries to next June’s Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon. Names of the finishers from all four divisions will be collected and 250 runners will be randomly selected to receive the half-marathon entries. Registrants will be notified by mail if they are among the 250 randomly-selected finishers.
Registration and race packet pick-up will be available at Fitger’s tomorrow from noon – 6 p.m. and Sunday from 7:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. The race begins one block east of Fitger’s on Superior Street and finishes near the Holiday Center.
Grandma’s Minnesota Mile Duluth is presented by Advantage Emblem & Screen Printing, Austin Jarrow, Caribou Coffee, the Duluth News Tribune, Fitger’s, Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, Northland’s NewsCenter, Verizon Wireless and WEBC The FAN 560. For more information, visit GrandmasMarathon.com or call (218) 727-0947.
Grandma’s Minnesota Mile Duluth
Sunday, September 7
Downtown Duluth
9:00 a.m. Kids Mile
For Children ages 8 to 14
9:20 a.m. All City Mile
For Recreational Runners with the following projected finishing times:
Men - 5:46 or longer; Women - 6:46 or longer
10:00 a.m. Duluth Mile
For Semi-Elite Runners with the following projected finishing times:
Men - between 4:41 and 5:45; Women - between 5:41 and 6:45
10:20 a.m. Grandma’s Minnesota Mile ($5,700 prize purse)
For Elite Runners with the following projected finishing times:
Men - 4:40 or faster; Women - 5:40 or faster
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