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MDRA Community Giving Grant
Lucy Laney Running Club, based out of the Lucy Craft Laney Community School in Minneapolis, is the 2019 Community Giving Grant Recipient through the Minnesota Distance Running Association Foundation. Sarah Hodges, an MDRA member and Lucy Laney school psychologist, saw the positive impact that running made on young women and the lack of running role models in the community. Ms. Hodges and the Lucy Laney social workers formed a running group of fifth grade girls three years ago. The grant funds will go toward the fall running club.
Currently, the group has enough funds for 10 to11 girls which helps provide race registration, apparel and transportation to race events. With the grant funding, they can expand to 20 girls and potentially include some third and fourth grade girls as well. The school does not fund the running club and the leaders are volunteers.
The $500 MDRA Foundation Community Giving Grant is awarded each year to help organizations promote youth participation; provide training and education to runners; and to support the running community.
MDRA Meet Ups!
Good Run, Great Eats team up with Track Thursday on July 18 and August 15.
This run is FREE to all with all paces welcome. Join us on for a workout and then food and fun afterward. Bring a friend!!
Track Thursdays with the MDRA – Free!
Why should you join us for Track Thursday? Miler to marathoner – interval training is the key to becoming faster at every distance! Workouts are led by certified coach Laurie Goudreault. All paces welcome. We’ll meet at the St. Paul Academy Track, Thursdays, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. through the end of August. The weekly workouts will be posted on the website.
Polar Bear group runs year round
It’s an all comers, all paces, year round, weekly group fun run! All paces are welcome. Distances typically range from about three miles to 10 plus. We meet every Saturday at 8 a.m. Check our website for weekly run locations!
46th year of the MDRA Como Park Cross Country Relays
Since 1974, this weekly event in August is one of the best values in running and a fun and challenging workout! All levels of runner are encouraged to compete and have fun. If you don’t have a partner, just show up early and we will find one for you. The event is held at the intersection of Lexington Parkway and Horton Avenue, near Como Park in St. Paul, every Wednesday in August 2019. Kids races start at 6:30 p.m. The two person relay starts at 6:45 p.m. The cost is $.50 for the kids race, age 14 and under, $3 per runner for the relay race, age 17 and under, $5 per runner for the relay race, age 18 and over.
MDRA 15K
The 38th Annual MDRA 15K (9.3 miles) will be run on Sunday, August 4, 2019, 8:00 a.m. It is one of Minnesota’s few distance certified 15K courses. Run a new distance and set a PR! The MDRA 15K also serves as the USATF Minnesota 15K Championship. This race is at Crosby Farm Park, St. Paul, Minnesota, along one of the more scenic courses in the Twin Cities metro area. $30 Preregistered - USATF and MDRA Members receive a $5.00 discount. For more race information and to register online visit mdra15k.com.
36th Annual MDRA Victory Labor Day Races
PR on Minnesota’s fastest 10K course! There is a distance for everyone at this fun, family event. Can’t decide which distance? Run the Double Header! Monday, September 2, 2019, at Webber Park, North Minneapolis. The MDRA 10K begins at 8:00 a.m., Steve Williams Memorial 5K at 9:30 a.m. and the Victory Lap Kids half mile fun run is at 10:20 a.m. Free community picnic to follow! Register at Victoryraces. com.
Jeff Winter City of Lakes Half Marathon!
The 38th edition of the Jeff Winter City of Lakes Half Marathon will be held Sunday, September 8, 2019, 8:00 a.m. at Lake Harriet, Minneapolis. The race is filling fast and the field is limited to 1,500 entrants. Run the scenic parkways around Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun as part of your fall marathon tune up or make it your fall goal race. Secure your spot in this classic Minnesota half marathon! $55 registration between June 1 and July 31. Register at cityoflakeshalfmarathon.com
State Records set at the Ron Daws 25K
STATE RECORD FOR 37 YEAR OLD WOMEN - Kelly Boler, Eagan, 1:33:42
STATE RECORD FOR 64 YEAR OLD WOMEN - Andriette Wickstrom, IA, 2:10:14
STATE RECORD FOR 84 YEAR OLD MEN - Alan Phillips, Minneapolis, 3:24:14
Save, Not Pave, the Soldiers Field Track in Rochester!
On May 7, 2019, the City of Rochester Park Board voted to shorten and widen the Soldiers Field Track to a non-regulation sized track, bank it for drainage and pave it with asphalt. Save the Track Organization has sprung up as a grassroots call to action to ask the Park Board to consider options that will retain the functionality of the track for the running and fitness community. Sign the petition: http://chng.it/ tsNByFXtgw or check out The Save the Track Organization on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/ SaveTheTrack/about/
Team USA Minnesota news!
The Team USA Minnesota distance runners had an amazing Grandma’s weekend in Duluth with Katy Jermann winning the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, Dakotah Lindwurm finishing fourth in Grandma’s Marathon, along with Tyler Jermann and Danny Docherty placing fourth and sixth respectively in the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon men’s field. Katy Jermann posted 1:10:27 in the half marathon, which was a personal best for her (previous was 1:12:11) as well as a Team USA Minnesota record for women in the half marathon. In addition, to date she has run the second fastest half marathon time by a U.S. woman this year.
Team USA Minnesota is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Founded in 2001, the purpose of the training group is to improve the competitiveness of post-collegiate American distance runners and to develop Olympians. The athletes are coached by Chris Lundstrom. Team USA Minnesota’s sponsors include Twin Cities Orthopedics, Twin Cities In Motion and the Houston Marathon Foundation. For more information, visit the team’s web site at www.teamusaminnesota.org.
