President’s Letter

MDRA’S ANNUAL JEFF WINTER CITY OF LAKES HALF MARATHON WAS HELD IN SEPTEMBER. PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ARE Derek Wilder, Rachel Gruber and Jenny Jaakola. Photo by Wayne Kryduba

BY ROCHELLE CHRISTENSEN

Hello runners,

We have just completed our big fall races: Victory 10K ,Steve Williams 5K, half mile kids race and the Jeff Winter City of Lakes Half Marathon. Thanks to those who participated, volunteered and support the MDRA.

None of these races are possible without the help of our volunteers! Volunteers are the essence of our community – they are a vital part of our running family. Volunteering is also about supporting each other as we strive to achieve goals and have fun.

If you want to volunteer at a race, training program or on a planning committee, go to https://runmdra.org/about-mdra/volunteer/

Have you ever run the Como Relays? For the past 46 years, John Cramer and his family have been leading the event every Wednesday in August. There are quarter mile or half mile kids races and a two person relay. The relay distance can be up to one mile (three to four times). All of the races are run on the grass! It’s so fun to see the kids’ smiles as they experience the joy of running and finishing a race. The Como Relays attract all ages. It showcases the best of the running community. If you have not run the Como Relays, I encourage you to come run or volunteer next August! Thank you to John for wonderful leadership of 46 years (WOW!).

Hopefully, you are reading this prior to the Twin Cities Marathon weekend. If you are running the marathon, TC 10 miler and/or the 5K/10K, please stop by the MDRA booth at the Expo. If you need to renew your membership, purchase some MDRA gear or just chat, stop by. If you are not running any of the races, we hope you get out and cheer on the runners, especially those with MDRA gear!

Enjoy your fall and this edition of Run Minnesota.

DENNIS Barker is a coach, MDRA Board Member and writer, author of The River Road, in addition to training articles for a variety of publications.

DENNIS BARKER

GARY Porter has completed 11 marathons over 40 plus years of running. These include Boston and the Marine Corps marathon, where he and his wife Melissa were twice recognized as the top fund raisers for Billy Mills Running Strong for American Indian Youth team. Gary is a retired professor of accounting and has authored numerous textbooks. He has also written a book about the couple’s first adopted dog and another about growing up in a small Midwestern town.

GARY PORTER

Sarah Barker runs and writes from her dining room in St. Paul. She really enjoys the Como Park Relays, and really doesn’t enjoy being photographed.

SARAH BARKER

CHAD Austin is a long-time runner, having followed his dad out the door at the age of 10. If he’s not running, you can probably find him cross-country skiing or fat biking. He currently lives in Apple Valley with his wife Amy and their 2 daughters. He’s interested in all things running in Minnesota and you can follow him on Twitter @MinnesotaRunner.

CHAD AUSTIN

anne Wagemaker is currently the assistant principal at Lucy Laney Elementary School. She has been a member of MDRA since 2015 and loves the community of supportive runners.

ANNE WAGEMAKER

Senior Editor:

Gloria Jansen

Art Director:

Chad Richardson

Advertising Coordinator/Sales:

Sarah Ahlers McInerney

Photographer:

Wayne Kryduba

Results:

Jack Moran

MDRA Officers: Rochelle Christensen, President

Kathy Larsen, Vice President Jenny Scobie, Secretary Steve Hennessy, Treasurer

MDRA Board Members:

Chad Austin, Dennis Barker, Norm Champ, David Daubert, Tom Goudreault, Jill Jewell, Rick Recker, Damon Rothstein, Sarah Stangl, Christopher Turoski

Contact RunMinnesota!

RunMinnesota P.O. Box 6419 Minneapolis, MN 55406-0419 runminnesota@gmail.com

RunMinnesota magazine is published four times a year and is produced by the Minnesota Distance Running Association. RunMinnesota is available through a member subscription or at select retail locations. To get RunMinnesota mailed to you, join online at runmdra.org.