This Saturday offers you a chance to run in one Minnesota's oldest races, and a unique race at that. Head out to the western suburbs and participate in the Fred Kurz Ten Miler. And to review, here are the remaining races in the MDRA Spring Race series.
Fred Kurz Ten Mile Saturday April 10th 8:30 a.m.
Mudball Classic 4 Mile Sunday April 18th 10 a.m.
Mom’s Day 5k Saturday May 8th 8:00 a.m.
MDRA Mississippi 10 Miler Sunday May 30th 8 a.m.
Now about Fred Kurz...
LOGISTICS
- The race is organized in pursuit fashion, similar to some of the cross country ski and biathalon races that accompany the Winter Olympics. Using the honor system runners report their two most recent race times and race officials use a chart to determine your handicap. That is, the slower your previous two races, the bigger your head start.
- This sets up a potentially wild finish with runners of all ages and ability challenging each other throughout the course, all the way to the finish.
COURSE HISTORY
- The race was originally held on Victory Memorial Drive (1962-1972)
- It then moved to East River Road (1973-1982)
- The course then moved to its present home, the Luce Line Trail in 1983. It starts at Wayzata Middle School on Vicksburg Lane, goes north on Vicksburg to the Luce Line Trail, then west on the Luce Line past Old Orchard Road, where you turn around and back.
- Flat and soft would be two words to descrine this course.
RACE HISTORY
- This is the oldest continuously held race in Minnesota.
- The inaugural 10 Mile Handicap Road Race was held April 1, 1962, with 11 runners finishing within 8 minutes of each other. Last year brought over 100 runners finishing within an hour of each other.
- Fred Kurz, a charter MDRA member, was killed in a car-bike accident and the name of the race was then named in his honor.
NOTABLE FINISHERS AND WINNERS
- Two-time winner Barney Klecker holds the event record in 50:11 (1981).
- Two-time winner Lorraine Moeller holds the women's record in 57:14 (1981).
- Paul Noreen set the master's record of 50:49 in 1979.
- Kelly Keeler (now Kelly Keeler-Ramacier) set the women's master's record of 62:09 in 2003.
- Hal Higdon (1962)
- Ron Daws (five time winner)
- Steve Hoag
- Bruce Mortenson (whose two wins were 15 years apart - 1970 and 1985)
- Jan Arenz was a four-time winner
- MN House Representative Phyllis Kahn
- MDRA's own Heidi Keller-Miler
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2 comments:
if you go out too hard the slight upgrade towards the end can start to bite. But to be sure it's no Ron Daws 25k or Hopkins 7 miler for hills. Typically the return is with a tailwind given prevailing northwesterly winds.
Your comments are pretty spot on with todays weather - good to know that the course is a slight upgrade at the end, it is so slight it is hard tell. Next year we are going to do it up big for the 50th Anniversary!
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