Posted: February 10, 2004

Athletics: Twin Cities Marathon Prize Purse Becomes All-American

Commitment to developing American runners spurs TCM decision

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - (Feb. 2, 2004) - Twin Cities Marathon (TCM), long a proving ground for American marathoners such as Bob Kempainen, Ed Eyestone, Janis Klecker, Kim Jones, Dan Browne, Eddy Hellebuyck and Blake Russell, is taking significant steps this year to help improve the state of U.S. marathoning. First, TCM is dedicating its entire runner prize purse to American citizens, beginning with the October 2004 race. Second, TCM is increasing its runner prize purse to $200,000 this year, from last year's $170,000.

The move comes in the wake of the announcement that TCM will host the 2005 and 2006 USA Marathon Championships. "We are very excited about this opportunity to show our strong support for developing and rewarding U.S. marathoners," said TCM President Ron Abrahamson. "This is a great fit with TCM hosting the upcoming USA Men's and Women's Marathon Championships and our 14-year history of hosting the USA Masters Marathon Championships. The larger and U.S.-targeted prize purse also positions TCM as the premier race for U.S. elite marathoners."

"TCM's commitment to U.S. runners was the driving force behind the move," said Dan Finanger, TCM Executive Director. "We want to help accelerate the resurgence of American distance running. TCM supports Team USA Minnesota, Running USA and the Minnesota Elite Athlete Development Program and these prize purse enhancements are our next big steps. We are committed to providing a financially-rewarding venue for the best American runners to come together each year to compete against one another."

"American athletes are dependent on prize money to support their development into world-class athletes," said Charlie Mahler, TCM Open Elite Recruiter. "With all the excitement in U.S. distance running recently, I'm pleased that we're stepping up for U.S. runners, and that we are doing so in a way that will make TCM an especially exciting event."

The 2004 Twin Cities Marathon weekend is Oct. 1-3. The three-day weekend celebration of fitness includes a 5K run/walk, family fitness mile, children's fun runs, pasta dinner, two-day health and fitness expo and a 10-mile race in addition to the marathon. Twin Cities Marathon, a Running USA Founding Member, continues its 14th consecutive year as the designated USATF National Masters Championship for both men and women. Major corporate sponsors for the marathon are Cub Foods and Seagate Technology. The major media sponsors are KARE 11 and Cities 97. Twin Cities Marathon, Inc. is a non-profit organization that directs the TCM weekend as a community service for the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Visit us at www.twincitiesmarathon.org.

From: Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services