Following last year’s unprecedented cancellation due to extreme heat, the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon made its comeback on Sunday under much cooler conditions. With temperatures in the low 50s and clear, sunny skies, runners faced gusty winds as they made their way from downtown Minneapolis to the state Capitol in St. Paul for the 26.2-mile race.
Shadrack Kimining, a 28-year-old from Kenya, emerged as the men’s champion, crossing the finish line at 10:10 a.m. with a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 17 seconds. Kimining, wearing bib No. 1, led the field of 3,669 runners, including 2,227 male competitors. Following him in second place was Tesfu Twelde, 27, from Arizona, who completed the course in 2:20:21. Dominic Ondoro, 36, from Texas, secured third place with a time of 2:10:32.
In the women’s division, Ohio native Molly Bookmyer, 33, took first place with a time of 2:28:52, finishing 24th overall. Close behind was Jessica Watychowicz, 33, from Colorado, who finished in 2:33:02. Ashlee Powers, 30, from California, claimed third place with a time of 2:33:40.
Daniel Deuhs, from Cold Spring, Minnesota, won the nonbinary category with a time of 3:18:03. Arizona’s Fidel Aguilar took home the men’s push-rim wheelchair title with a time of 1:49:56, while his wife, Veronica Gonzales, won the women’s wheelchair division in 2:50:36.
In the accompanying Medtronic TC 10 Mile race, U.S. Olympian Conner Mantz set a new course record, finishing in 45 minutes and 13 seconds. Natosha Rogers, from Massachusetts, was the top woman, clocking in at 52:29. Minneapolis local Piper Bain won the nonbinary division with a time of 1:11:34.
A total of 6,747 runners completed the marathon, and 9,115 crossed the finish line in the 10-mile race. Across the weekend’s events, 28,920 people registered to participate.
The marathon’s return followed last year’s cancellation due to dangerously high temperatures, a first in the race’s history since its inception in 1982. On October 1, 2023, the thermometer reached 92 degrees, setting a new record for the hottest October day in Twin Cities history.
This year’s event saw a much more runner-friendly forecast, allowing participants to take to the streets once again and celebrate the return of the beloved race.
