All about the Twin Cities Marathon: Records, traffic and the route
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The Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon will run through Minneapolis and St. Paul Sunday morning.
The race was first held in 1982, after organizers merged the City of the Lakes Marathon and the St. Paul Marathon. (The entrance fee cost $6 that year.)
The October date means runners can take in the beauty of the changing fall leaves along the 26.2-mile course. Runner's World dubbed the race, "The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America."
It's a lively event for both runners and spectators.
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An annotated guide to the Twin Cities Marathon
The marathon by the numbers
In its first year, the marathon had 4,563 runners. By 2014, that number had more than doubled to 11,888. Of those 11,888 who registered, 74 percent finished the race.
The number of women runners on the course has been increasingly steadily since the start of the marathon. Only 14 percent of the inaugural runners in 1982 were women, but that number has grown to 46 percent.
The forecast tomorrow is calling for lows in the forties and highs in the 60s, but the weather hasn't always been so mild. The record for coldest run came in 1987, when temperatures dropped to 23 degrees. In 2002, runners powered through the record high temperature of 83 degrees.
The top times
The record holder in the men's race is Iowan Phil Coppess, who finished the course in two hours, 10 minutes and 15 seconds in 1985.
At the marathon expo yesterday, Kenyan Dominic Ondoro, who holds the Grandma's Marathon record, said he hopes to beat Coppess' time this year.
Zinaid Semenova of Russia holds the record in the women's race. In 2001, she finished the course in two hours, 26 minutes and 51 seconds.
Love on the run
Who says running isn't romantic?
In 1992, two marathoners got married mid-race. They exchanged vows at mile 20 and crossed the finish line as husband and wife.
Last year, there was a proposal at the marathon. Tyler Hecht popped the question to Stacy Lahr right at the finish line.
Traffic restrictions
Race-day traffic restrictions begin at 5 a.m. on Sunday at the race start at 6th Street and Portland Avenue near the U.S. Bank Stadium. Roads from 5th Avenue to 11th Avenue and from 6th Street to 3rd Street will be closed from 5 a.m. for start line setup, and will reopen around 9 a.m.
Along the marathon route, a slew of roads will be closed, with streets reopening on a rolling basis.
The marathon course passes the chain of lakes and follows Minnehaha Parkway, goes east to West River Parkway, crosses the Mississippi River on Franklin Avenue, and then continues on Summit Avenue before finishing at the Capitol grounds.
A complete list of street closures can be found on the race website.
