Category Archives: Calendar

Explore Minnesota Race Series

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The new Explore Minnesota Challenge Race Series begins this coming weekend with the Securian Winter Run (my 2009 race review) festivities. Athletes who participate in 8 qualifying events (including one from each region) will receive a commemorative medal (including commemorative pins for each race).  Registration for the Series is $50 and appears to be open until December 1, 2012 according to the registration page.  The registration fee doesn’t include event registration for each of the 8 required races, though it does come with some cool perks:

  • One Year Membership to Minnesota Distance Running Association ($25 value)
  • Commemorative Drawstring Backpack
  • Commemorative Lapel Pin (1 per person per region) for each of the 4 regions.
  • EM Challenge Winter Hat
  • Commemorative Lanyard
  • EM Challenge Finisher’s Shirt
  • State of Minnesota Medal upon completion of an event in all 4 regions.
  • Special discounts at various stores throughout the year.
  • Special Drawings for Hotel, Store and Race Entries throughout 2012.

The Challenge has divided up the state into 4 regions: Metro, Northern, Southern, and Central. At least two races from each region are part of the series. It appears all of the races are managed by Anderson Race Management the creator of the Explore Challenge in partnership with Explore Minnesota aka the Minnesota Tourism Board.

The 2012 races are:

Race Date Race Name Race City Race Region
28-Jan Securian Winter Run St Paul Metro
24-Mar Return of the Robin Rochester Southern
1-Apr  Fools Five Road Race Lewiston Southern
22-Apr Minneapolis Recycle Run Minneapolis Metro
5-May Special Olympics Half and 5K Buffalo Central
20-May Get Your Rear in Gear Edina Metro
26-May Skyline 25K Duluth Northern
23-Jun Get Your Rear in Gear Rochester Southern
24-Jun Twin Cities Pride Rainbow Run Minneapolis Metro
28-Jul Run for Blood 1/4 Marathon and 5K Minneapolis Metro
28-Jul Dr. Nancy English Memorial 5K Duluth Northern
8-Sep Bolder Dash Runs Minneapolis Metro
15-Sep Walk of Hope Rochester Southern
15-Sep Dash for Dads St Cloud Central
22-Sep Dave Ryan 5K and 10K for Special Olympics Minneapolis Metro
23-Sep One Last Tri, Scandia Northern
6-Oct Lupus Walk of Hope Duluth Northern
14-Oct Scenic Byway Half Marathon and 5K Belle Plaine Southern
20-Oct Warrior Waddle Winona Southern

What do you think are you up for the challenge?

Minnesota Marathons

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earthday3a

Want to complete 26.2 miles in Minnesota?  Below is a list of races throughout the state and surrounding states.  Some well known ones and some you’ve probably never heard of.  The list is compiled from the MarathonGuide.com.

The link on the name of the race points to the official homepage, the link on MG points to the Marathon Guide page so you can read past reviews, etc.

Minnesota

May 8 – Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon St. Joseph, MN MG

May 30 – Med-City Marathon & Half Marathon, Relay, 20 Mile Rochester, MN MG

May 30 – Stillwater Marathon & 20 Mile, Half Marathon, 12K Stillwater, MN MG

June 6 – Minneapolis Marathon & Half Marathon, 5K, 5K-9 Minneapolis, MN MG

June 19 – Grandma’s Marathon & Half Marathon, 5K, Kid’s Races Duluth, MN MG

July 11 – Half Voyageur Trail Marathon Carlton, MN MG

September 12 – Moose Mountain Marathon & 50 mile, 100 mile Lutsen, MN MG

September 19 – Walker/North Country Races & 2 Person Relay, 1/2 Marathon, 10K Walker, MN MG

October 3 – Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon & 10 Mile, 5K Minneapolis/St.Paul, MN MG

January 2011 – St. Olaf College Women’s Track & Field Team Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon Northfield, MN MG

Surrounding States

January 24 – InStep Running & Walking Centers InStep Icebreaker Indoor Marathon & Half Marathon

Milwaukee, WI  MG

April 4 (2009 date) – Re/Max, Children’s Miracle Network Trailbreaker Marathon & Half Marathon, 5K

Waukesha, WI MG

April 24 – Pine Line Trail Marathon & Half Marathon, 26.3 Mile Relay, 5K Run/Walk

Medford, WI MG

April 25 (2009 date) ING Trestle Valley Marathon & Marathon, Half Marathon, ND Distance Relay Championship

Minot, ND MG

May 1 – Wisconsin Marathon & Half Marathon Kenosha, WI MG

May 2 – Eau Claire Marathon & Half Marathon, 1 Mile Fun Run Eau Claire, WI MG

May 2 – La Crosse Fitness Festival & Half Marathon, Relay, 5K La Crosse, WI MG

May 8 – Journeys Marathon & Half Marathon, 5K, 13.1 mile Power Walk Eagle River, WI MG

May 8 – Lake Geneva Marathon & Half-Marathon, Relay, Walk, 10K, 5K, Adventure Race Lake Geneva, WI MG

May 10 (2009 date) – Central States Marathon & 50K, 11 Miler Ames, IA MG

May 16 – Cellcom Green Bay Marathon & Marathon, Relay, Half Marathon, 5K, WPS Kids’ Run Green Bay, WI MG

May 30 – Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon) & Marathon, Half Marathon, Quarter Marathon Madison, WI MG

June 6 – Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon & Half Marathon, Relay, 5K, 1K Deadwood, SD MG

June 12 – Marathon-to-Marathon & Half Marathon, Marathon Relay, 5K Marathon, IA MG

June 13 – Swan Lake Marathon & 1/2 marathon, Sunfish 5.3 Viborg, SD MG

July 18 – University of Okoboji Marathon & Half Marathon, Triathlon, 10K Okoboji, IA MG

August 8 – Paavo Nurmi Marathon Paavo Nurmi Marathon (USA) & Relay Hurley, WI MG

August 15 – LEADING LADIES’ MARATHON & Half Marathon Spearfish, SD MG

September 18 – Kroll’s Diner YMCA Bismarck Marathon/Half Marathon and Footfest 5k & Half Marathon, Marathon Relay Bismarck, ND MG

October 3 – Lakefront Marathon Milwaukee, WI MG

October 9 – WhistleStop Marathon & Half Marathon, 10K, 5K Ashland, WI MG

October 17 – Des Moines Marathon & Half Marathon, Marathon Relay, 5K Road Race, Kids Run Des Moines, IA MG

October 25 – On the Road for Education & Half-Marathon, 10K & 5K Mason City, IA MG

November 7 – Rails to Trails Marathon Norwalk, WI MG

That is quite a few choices.  Did I leave any out?

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January Races

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It is a little late to be doing this, but better late than never!

Here are some upcoming races for the month of January:

January 16 – Polar Challenge 5k in Bemedji, MN

January 23 – Securian Frozen 5k & Half Marathon at the St Paul Winter Carnival.  Check out my thoughts on last year’s race.

January 30 – Winterfest 5k in Waconia sounds like fun.

Last weekend was the “World’s Most Prestigous Indoor Marathon” the Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon.  The Meet of the Miles was also recently held, but I can’t find a link.  It also is the first race in the MDRA Grand Prix.

Since I’m not running I won’t be running any of these… will you?

* This is not a comprehensive list!

[tags] January, 5k, half-marathon [/tags]

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Meet Team USA Minnesota

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There are at least two great opportunities to meet with members of Team USA Minnesota in the next months.

First all Metro area residents will get the chance to meet Team USA – Minnesota on June 11, 2008. According to Down the Backstretch everyone is welcome to come run with Team USA members starting at 6:30pm. The event will take place at TC Running Company in Eden Prairie (6405 City West Parkway).

Bring your running gear and go on a 3-5 mile run with team members, the advertisement says that all speeds are welcome. After the run hang out at the party which starts at 7:30 with autograph sessions and a special presentation at 8:15.

It looks like a great event and I hope to be able to go for awhile, although I will probably have to skip the run part for a work function.

The second event is only for student athletes in grades 7-12. Carrie Tollefson, Team USA MN athlete will host a 3 day camp. The official press release highlights some important facts:

Designed for boys and girls in grades 7-12 who run distances from the 800 meters up through cross country, the performance-driven camp wil be held at the College on St. Catherine in St. Paul. There were 84 campers in 2007 and this year the limit is 100. Registration closes on June 10.

A highlight of this year’s camp will be Todd Williams, a two-time Olympian and the 15k American record holder. In high school, Williams won six Michigan state championships, was a runner-up at Footlocker in 1986, he was an eight-time All American at the University of Tennessee, and a 12-time USA National Champion competing for adidas.

The Carrie Tollefson Training Camp should be a great opportunity for young runners to hang out with an Olympian and multi-champion female athlete. Tollefson is a Minnesota native who won 13 Minnesota high school championships in cross country and track in the early 1990s, setting a national high school record for five individual titles in cross country. (Thanks to DtB for this one too!)

I am trying to encourage one of the middle schools girls to go to the camp. She ran a 5:55 indoor 1600 earlier this year, placing 4th in a high school meet.

[tags] Team USA – MN, Carrie Tollefson, Tollefson, Team USA [/tags]

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Full Lunar Eclipse Tonight!

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Did you know about the Lunar Eclipse tonight? We are expecting a full Lunar Eclipse to occur tonight (Weds) starting at 7:53pm Eastern the entire event will be over at 12:09am Eastern. The full eclipse will occur around 9pm Eastern and last for almost an hour. This is all from USA Today. They have a lot more technical details for you too!  This eclipse should be viewable to almost everyone in the Northern Hemisphere, so if it is clear outside you should take a peak!

I know of several events here in Minneapolis alone, so I’m sure there are plenty of events in your neck of the woods too! Just stay warm out there!

One is at Minnehaha Falls Park (Steven’s House) – Part of Coldwater’s Full Moon Walks.  Three Rivers Park District is hosting several events including snowshoeing adventures.