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The Marathons of Minnesota The weather can be cold, but hearts are always warm. BY DAVID ASP arathons in Minnesota? When most people think of Minnesota, images of frozen tundra blanketed by snow in subzero temperatures come to mind. MYes, the weather here can be less than ideal. Beginning this article in midfall and having just finished a training run with the high school cross-country team, I set my shoes out to dry out by the wood stove from 4 inches of wet snow. The electricity has been out for the past two hours as our first snowstorm of the season brought down power lines and made today’s run treacherous. Although the weather in the North Star State can be unpredictable, it doesn’t deter thousands of runners from enjoying the many distinctive marathons of Minnesota. And though the weather can be cold, it has been my experience that race organizers and vol- unteers are warm and friendly. From an indoor marathon to an urban marathon to a rugged wilderness-trail marathon, there is a run for everyone. So, marathons in Minnesota? You betcha! Following is a list of the marathons held annually in Minnesota. This article follows the style of Dan Horvath’s article “The Marathons of Ohio” and Alan Gould’s “The Marathons of Wisconsin,” published in previous issues of Marathon & Beyond. Like the other authors, I have attempted to include personal experi- ences from the races I have completed along with general information about the event. Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon Cabin fever in the depths of January? Postholiday blues? Break out of your funk with the Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon, run on the campus of St. Olaf Col- lege in Northfield, Minnesota. St. Olaf is a nationally ranked private liberal arts 108 l MARATHON & BEYOND l Nov/Dec 2010 college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Renowned for its beauty and award-winning architecture, St. Olaf is set on a hilltop overlooking historic Northfield, Minnesota. Northfield is a quaint two-college community just 35 miles from the Twin Cities and is home to the state high school cross-country meet. Having attended four homecoming 5K runs while my son was at St. Olaf, I know the large field house where the marathon is run quite well. The marathon described by race directors as “the world’s most prestigious indoor marathon” is a 150-lap race that takes place on the indoor track. To avoid monotony, runners change di- rections on the track every 30 minutes, and laps are recorded by each runner’s personal timekeeper. Registration is by © Chad Thomas lottery, as space is limited. In 2009, 85 runners registered for the lottery, 43 started, and 39 runners from 12 states and Ontario finished. While there may be subzero temps outside, runners are treated to perfect weather conditions of 60 to 65 degrees with no wind, rain, or snow. In addition, participants are entertained by music the entire 26.2 miles, and 600 aid stations are on the perfectly level course. For out-of-town runners, towels are provided, and race organizers claim they have the best prerace meal anywhere! s Where: Northfield, Minnesota s When: January 9, 2011 s Web site: www.northfieldrunning.com s Phone: 612/702-7421 s E-mail: dick@northfieldrunning.com Zorbaz on Gull Lake Run for the Lakes As I was driving north to Brainerd for the inaugural Run for the Lakes Marathon in 2008, a cold rain soon turned to an icy sleet. My wife ran that Friday afternoon’s 5K race in wet, sloppy conditions, and by race morning it was snowing hard with a strong northwest wind. People in northern Minnesota are tough, and there was no pulling the plug on this race. Running through 6 inches of snow and at times David Asp l THE MARATHONS OF MINNESOTA l 109 having difficulty seeing the course because of the blizzardlike conditions made the race a memorable event. Given the conditions, race organizers and volunteers were outstanding in their support and aid to participants. Although the conditions made it difficult to enjoy (and see) the beauty of the area, Brainerd is one of the prime resort areas in the United States. Formerly known as the Brainerd Jaycees Run for the Lakes Marathon, the loop course starts and finishes in the city of Nisswa, which is in the heart of the Brainerd Lakes area. The majority of the race is on county roads with some parts on the Paul Bunyan Trail, a 100-mile scenic trail that connects Brainerd and my birthplace, Bemidji, Minnesota. Runners enjoy a relatively flat course that passes by 20 lakes and through forests of white and Norway pine. In 2009 the weather was drastically different, with temperatures in the mid-70s by race finish. Average temperatures in Brainerd for April are from the mid-50s to the mid-60s. The race includes a Friday-afternoon 5K, a kids’ fun run, a half-marathon, and a marathon relay. Both the half- and full marathons are on a certified course. I definitely would do this race again but would opt for blue skies and warmer temperatures, unlike 2008. s Where: Nisswa, Minnesota s When: April 30, 2011 s Web site: www.runforthelakes.com s Phone: 218/537-0294 s E-mail: [email protected] Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon Garrison Keillor’s mythical town of Lake Wobegon is in the heart of this area of Minnesota. Here, “where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average,” the marathon with the small-town character is set. The marathon, a relatively small race (the 2010 limit was 350 runners) in its third year, is organized by the local running club, the St. Cloud River Runners. This is a point-to-point race put on “by runners, for runners” and offers many of the amenities of large races without the huge costs or hassles. The race is primarily rural and is on the Lake Wobegon Bicycle Trail. The trail is a 10-foot-wide asphalt bike trail, formerly a railroad track, and is smooth, flat, and fast. The course is certified, and most of the time, runners are surrounded by serene vistas of lakes, wetlands, and woodlands, but they also pass through four idyllic towns complete with grain elevators, water towers, and beautiful churches. Keillor has said about the trail, “I’ve biked the bike trail . and love the ordinary beauty of farmland and meadow and the towns along it.” 110 l MARATHON & BEYOND l Nov/Dec 2010 ad David Asp l THE MARATHONS OF MINNESOTA l 111 © Tony © Tony Peroutky The average high temperature for the area in mid May is 67 degrees, and the average low is 42 degrees. As this is a point-to-point race, transportation is provided at the finish area (St. Joseph) to the start line (Holdingford). Techni- cal finisher shirts and finisher medals are awarded to all runners who complete the course within a six-hour time limit. Runners who cannot maintain at least a 14:00-per-mile average pace are discouraged from registering, as the finish line closes in six hours. s Where: St. Joseph, Minnesota s When: May 14, 2011 s Web site: www.lakewobegontrailmarathon.org s Phone: 320/251-4873 s E-mail: [email protected] Med-City Marathon Located on the banks of the Zumbro River, Rochester was once a stagecoach stop between St. Paul and Dubuque, Iowa. In 1883 Dr. William Mayo and his two sons worked together to care for hundreds of people injured by a tornado that devastated the community. With help from the Sisters of St. Francis, Dr. Mayo opened St. Mary’s Hospital in 1889. The Mayo Practice grew and today is among the largest and most-respected medical facilities in the world, giving rise to the city’s nickname, “Med-City.” The Med-City Marathon has also evolved in the last few years and is a point-to- point race where runners are shuttled to the start line in the small town of Byron. The 112 l MARATHON & BEYOND l Nov/Dec 2010 scenic certified course is rolling for the first eight miles as runners travel through a golf course on their way to Rochester. The course becomes relatively flat as it winds through downtown Rochester and on bike paths along the Zumbro River. The finish area is in downtown Rochester, near the Rochester Family YMCA. All proceeds of the race benefit the Rochester Area Family Y’s Strong Kids Campaign. Included in the marathon are a half-marathon, a four-person relay, a 20-mile run, a 5K run or walk, and the Med-City Kids’ Marathon (kids ran 25 miles over time by training on their own, with parents, or with teams at school and then ran the last 1.2 miles on event day, crossing the adult marathon finish line). Average temperatures for May are low 50s to highs of 65 degrees. Although there is a limit placed on numbers of teams, there are no field limitations for the marathon. s Where: Rochester, Minnesota s When: May 29, 2011 s Web site: www.medcitymarathon.com s Phone: 507/664-9438 s E-mail: info@finalstretch.com Stillwater Marathon The historic city of Stillwater host- ed its first marathon race in 2009 with 2,400 runners. Stillwater, the birthplace of Minnesota, is a scenic 15 miles from the Twin Cities and has been a haven for running. The high school cross-country team has held a number one national ranking in recent years and has produced All-American and Olympic Trials runners.

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