Minnesota Mile Elite Field Announced
The 8th edition, with a $20,100 prize purse, is the finale of the inaugural Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour 2014; final GP positions and prize money will be decided in Duluth
From Minnesota Mile
DULUTH, Minn. - A premier class of one-Mile runners is assembled for Sunday’s Minnesota Mile in downtown Duluth. The eighth annual event includes an elite division that features a $20,100 prize purse with the men’s and women’s winners each receiving $3000, respectively.
The Minnesota Mile is also the sixth and final stop on the inaugural Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour 2014. The total prize purse for the six Tour events exceeds $85,000 plus $7500 for the Grand Prix purse. Per Tour event, per gender, the top 6 will score points (10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1) with the top 4 Grand Prix scorers earning GP money ($2000, $1000, $500 and $250). Team USA Minnesota’s Heather Kampf, “The Queen of the Road Mile,” has already secured the women’s BBTM GP Tour title, but the other Grand Prix positions will be decided at the Minnesota Mile.
Kampf, 27, of Minneapolis, holds three of the top ten women’s times in Minnesota Mile history. She claimed the title in 2012 (4 minutes, 36.5 seconds), and she placed second a year ago behind the course-record-setting performance from Gabriele Anderson, now Grunewald.
Kampf’s set her best Mile mark of 4:21.39 on July 26 while claiming victory at the Ryan Shay Mile. The former University of Minnesota standout won numerous Mile races in 2013, including the Bermuda Mile, the Ryan Shay Mile, the GNC Live Well Liberty Mile and the Michigan Mile. Kampf will be challenged in Sunday’s women’s division by Sarah Brown (Solana Beach, Calif. – PR, 4:26.67) and Sara Vaughn (Boulder, Colo. – PR, 4:29.8).
Brown, 27, set her personal best time of 4:26.67 in winning Vancouver’s Harry Jerome Mile on July 10. She also won the 2013 Medtronic TC 1 Mile in Minneapolis. Vaughn, 28, placed third (4:38.9) at last year’s Minnesota Mile behind Grunewald and Kampf.
On the men’s side, the top two in the Bring Back the Mile Grand Prix Tour standings are registered and are among the favorites. Rob Finnerty, 24, of Burnsville, Minn., leads Jack Bolas, 26, by two points entering Sunday’s final Tour race.
In July, Finnerty won the Ryan Shay Mile in a personal record 3:56.98. On Aug. 22, he placed third (4:13) at the Michigan Mile, a race won by Bolas in 4:06.76. Bolas was third at the 2013 Minnesota Mile in 3:53.5, his personal best. Both Finnerty and Bolas ran collegiately at the University of Wisconsin.
Other contenders include 2012 1500-meter Olympian Ciaran O’Lionaird from Ireland (PR, 3:52.10) and Americans Miles Batty (Cedar Park, Texas – PR, 3:54.54), Jake Edwards (Columbus, Ohio – PR, 3:58.09), Tommy Schmitz (Santa Barbara, Calif. – PR, 3:56.45) and Kampf’s Team USA Minnesota teammate Eric Finan (Minneapolis, Minn. – PR, 3:58.73).
Sunday’s races begin one block east of Fitger’s on Superior Street and finish past the Holiday Center. In addition to the elite race, the event includes races for children, recreational and semi-elite runners.
The Minnesota Mile offers runners a unique opportunity for citizen runners to secure a spot in next year’s Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, as 250 finishers will be randomly selected to receive guaranteed entries into the 2015 half marathon on June 20.
Registration for all divisions is conducted online at www.GrandmasMarathon.com. The pre-registration entry fee is $20 and late registration (September 6 and 7) is $30. The first 450 paid pre-registered entrants will receive a complimentary pair of Fitsok performance socks.
The Minnesota Mile is sponsored by Holiday Stationstores, Advantage Emblem & Screen Printing, Duluth Running Company, Duluth News Tribune, ESPN Radio 560 WEBC, Fitger’s, Fitsok, Holiday Inn & Suites, Kemps, KBJR 6 & Range 11, Super One and Verizon Wireless.
For more information, visit GrandmasMarathon.com or call (218) 727-0947. For more on Bring Back the Mile and the BBTM GP Tour, visit www.bringbackthemile.com.
Grandma’s Minnesota Mile
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Duluth, MN
Elite Division - $20,100 Prize Purse
WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL FIELD
| SEED | FIRST | LAST | PB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heather | Kampf | 4:21.39r |
| 2 | Sarah | Brown | 4:26.67 |
| 3 | Sara | Vaughn | 4:29.8r |
| 4 | Christy | Cazzola | 4:33.9r |
| 5 | Jessica | Tebo | 4:34.73i |
| 6 | Genet | Beyene | 4:41.52 |
| 7 | Doreen | Kitaka | 4:46.7r |
| 8 | Dawn | Grunnagle | 4:47.84i |
| 9 | Breeda | Willis | 4:48.4r |
| 10 | Ioana | Citireag | 4:27.44 (1500m) |
| 11 | Neely | Spence-Gracey | 4:48.8r |
| 12 | Katie | McGee | 5:09 |
MEN'S PROFESSIONAL FIELD
| SEED | FIRST | LAST | PB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ciaran | O'Lionaird | 3:52.10i |
| 2 | Jack | Bolas | 3:53.5r |
| 3 | Richard | Kandie | 3:53.7r |
| 4 | Miles | Batty | 3:54.54i |
| 5 | Tommy | Schmitz | 3:56.45 |
| 6 | Rob | Finnerty | 3:56.98r |
| 7 | Eric | Finan | 3:58.73 |
| 8 | Pat | Fullerton | 3:58.8r |
| 9 | Tom | Scott | 3:59.9r |
| 10 | Jon | Peterson | 4:00.54 |
| 11 | Brandon | Hudgins | 4:01.64 |
| 12 | Lee | Willis | 4:04.62 |
| 13 | Adam | Currie | 4:04.94 |
| 14 | Seth | Brickley | 4:06.4r |
| 15 | Aaron | Easker | 4:08.01 |
| 16 | Edward | Tabut | 4:08.1r |
| 17 | Joey | Keillor | 4:13.3r |
| 18 | Sammy | Rotich | 4:13.7r |
| 19 | Elly | Sang | 4:16.5r |
| 20 | Tyler | Hinrichs | 4:19.57i |
| 21 | Charlie | Habermann | 4:22.23i |
| 22 | Ismael | Arzola | 4:26.07i |
Open Division – Men and Women
1st Place: $3000
2nd Place: $2000
3rd Place: $1500
4th Place: $1000
5th Place: $800
6th Place: $600
7th Place: $400
8th Place: $250
Masters Division – Men and Women
1st Place: $500
Schedule of Events
09:00am - Verizon Wireless Kids Mile – Free for Children ages 8 to 14
09:20am - All City Mile - Recreational
10:00am - Duluth Mile - Semi-Elite
10:20am - Grandma’s Minnesota Mile - Elite ($20,100 prize purse) - Bring Back the Mile GP Tour 2014 finale
