Race within Race to Feature at Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon
St. Paul, Minn. – May 8, 2024 – This year’s Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon on October 6 will host the inaugural Best of the Midwest Invitational, as part of its professional athlete program. The race will offer support to aspiring professional marathoners from twelve Midwestern states as they seek to join the ranks of nationally and internationally competitive marathoners.
“Midwestern runners have long seen the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon as a place to establish their name in the professional running world,” Twin Cities In Motion president Dean Orton said. “So carving out a special place for them at the race seemed natural. Twin Cities In Motion believes all runners have a place at our events, whether they’re trying to finish a first race or advance a professional career with Olympic dreams.”
In 1991, Janis Klecker used a victory at her hometown marathon as a step to becoming an Olympian in 1992, just as 2019 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon runner-up Dakotah Lindwurm claimed a spot on the U.S. marathon team for Paris this summer. Past men’s champions like Phil Coppess (Iowa), the longtime course record holder, and Bill Donakowski (Michigan) were consistent contenders on the U.S. road racing circuit in their time.
Joining the professional athletes invited to the race from around the world, Midwestern athletes accepted into the Best of the Midwest Invitational field will be featured in the “race within a race” and will compete for a dedicated prize purse totaling $20,000 (part of a $79,000+ marathon prize purse overall, including wheelchair athletes) and receive full professional athlete amenities. 2022 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon women’s champion Jessica Watychowicz of Illinois and Minnesota Distance Elite’s Kevin Lewis have already been accepted into the Best of the Midwest Invitational field.
“I am thrilled to be returning to the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon this fall as the defending champion,” Watychowicz said. “As an athlete with Midwest roots, I am also excited to be part of the Best of the Midwest Invitational as well. This invitational is a great way to encourage participation from the strong pool of runners from all over the Midwest.”
Athletes wishing to apply for the Best of the Midwest Invitational can learn more and apply here.
Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend will take place from Friday, October 4, through Sunday, October 6. Registration is underway online through the Twin Cities In Motion website, tcmevents.org. In addition to the marathon on Sunday, October 6, registration is also open for the following Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend events:
· Medtronic TC Family Events
· TC 5K, presented by Fredrikson
· TC 10K, presented by Dermatology Consultants
Those events take place at the State Capitol grounds on Saturday, October 5.
Registration is also open for the TC Loony and TC Ultra Loony Challenges – where runners participate in the TC 5K and TC 10K prior to running either the Medtronic TC 10 Mile or marathon the following day.
The registration drawing for the Medtronic TC 10 Mile, to be held on the same day as the marathon, opens June 17.
Twin Cities In Motion expects more than 28,000 registrants for the 2024 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend, including a sell-out field of 8,000 runners in the marathon and more than 12,000 10 mile runners. For more information about the event, visit the Twin Cities In Motion website, tcmevents.org.
About Twin Cities in Motion
Twin Cities In Motion (TCM) is a community motion nonprofit and the region’s premier running event organizer. TCM believes a community that engages each other through movement, makes a healthier society both socially and physically. TCM is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit that organizes dozens of events throughout the year, including the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, a Top 10 U.S. marathon, to provide opportunities for people of all ages, abilities, and experiences to live an active, healthy lifestyle. Collectively, TCM and its charity partners that fundraise at TCM events regularly give back more than $1 million annually to a variety of causes. For more information, visit us at tcmevents.org, or find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @tcmarathon.
