Posted: April 15, 2005

Athletics: TC 1 Mile Announces Prize Purse and Benefit Wave for Bolder Options

New Twin Cities Marathon Event Held in Conjunction with Marathon Registration Kick-Off

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - (April 12, 2005) - The Twin Cities Marathon (TCM) has announced that the inaugural TC 1 Mile, presented by M&I Bank will have a $3,000 prize purse as well as a non-competitive wave to benefit Bolder Options, a local youth mentoring program.

Participants of the TC 1 Mile will run through the streets of downtown Minneapolis, cross the Hennepin Avenue Bridge and end near 222 1st Avenue NE on Thursday, April 28, 2005. The first wave begins at 6:45pm, as Olympian Carrie Tollefson leads the non-competitive "Bolder Wave," followed by age group waves. The race will culminate with an Open wave featuring Luke Watson, a Team USA Minnesota athlete with a 3:57 personal record in the mile.

The $3,000 prize purse will award five deep for men and women in Open and masters categories as well as the opportunity to win a trip to Boulder, Colo. to compete in the America's Downtown Mile Championship.

"We're hoping to cultivate a great inaugural field with this prize purse and revive a unique distance race in a great downtown setting," said Brian Mastel, TCM Race Operations Manager.

"In addition to the competitive wave, everyday runners are invited to run in age group waves or join 2004 Olympian Carrie Tollefson and other Team USA Minnesota athletes in the Bolder Wave," said Virginia Brophy Achman, TCM Executive Director.

The Bolder Wave is a non-competitive wave that benefits Bolder Options, a local non-profit that uses running and biking to mentor at-risk youth.

"This new member of the TCM family of events offers something for everyone and is a great way to kick-off Marathon Registration," said Brophy Achman. "We want to challenge people to come downtown, run the mile and have fun with it. If we can motivate someone to take the first step and run the TC 1 Mile, our hope is that some day they will be able to conquer the TC 10 Mile and even the marathon."

Registration for the TC 1 Mile is just $15 and includes a Brooks technical participant shirt. The entry fee for those interested in supporting Bolder Options is $25, with the added amount going directly to support Bolder Options. Online registration is available now at TwinCitiesMarathon.org.

The race is held in conjunction with Twin Cities Marathon Registration Kick-Off Party. The marathon field will grow by 500 entries to 10,500 this year, but usually closes within three weeks.

"Most people know that our race takes place the first Sunday in October, but what they don't realize is that in order to get into the race, you need to register quickly! We are lucky to have such a beautiful course and a well organized race that is always in high demand," said Brophy Achman.

Marathon Registration will take place from 5:00-8:00pm at 222 Event Centre located at 222 1st Avenue NE, Minneapolis.

The 2005 Twin Cities Marathon weekend will take place September 30 - October 2. The three-day weekend celebration of fitness includes a 5K run/walk, children's fun runs, pasta dinner, health and fitness expo and TC 10 Mile in addition to the marathon. TCM, a Running USA Founding Member, continues its 15th consecutive year as the USATF National Masters Championships (40 and older) and will also host the USA Marathon Championships. Major corporate sponsors include Cub Foods, Capella University and ING. 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 TwinCitiesMarathon.org for more information.

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director
385 Oak View Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111

(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 967-5958
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.runningusa.org.