There will be an extra trail race this year after the NMTC trail series has concluded.  Eve Stein is organizing a race as a further benefit for Gene Curnow.  The race will take place at the Snowflake Nordic Center at 2pm on November 11th.  There is no mandatory fee.  Donate what you can, and all proceeds will be donated to Gene.

Race Listing:  Smush Da Ticks Fun Run

Race Flyer:  Smush Da Ticks Flyer

Eve's Blog Entry:  October 24, 2007: FUND RAISER FUN RUN FOR GENE CURNOW

Pictures from the NMTC Hartley 10.5k on Sunday, October 21st.

Submitted by Eve Stein.

Due to building problems at Saint Andrew's By The Lake, the Bridge to the Gulf 5k has been cancelled.  The race was originally scheduled for December 1st.  Race organizers anticipate being able to hold the event next year.

Race Listing: Bridge to the Gulf III

The Duluth Children's Clinic Harvest Run/Walk took place Saturday, October 20th on Duluth's Lakewalk.  Over 300 runners and walkers participated in the race under clear, sunny skies.  The cool fall weather made for ideal racing conditions.  Former Duluth high school standouts carried the day:  Brian Primozich (Duluth Central '03) won the men's race in 17:38, and Kathy Westergren (Duluth East '07) won the women's race in 20:13.

Brian Primozich felt good the whole race although he was hoping for a faster time on the flat course.  Brian ran in a pack with Ely's Will Helms and Duluth's Jarrow Wahman before breaking away after the first mile.  Will eventually caught up to Brian after the second mile, and the two battled it out to the finish line.  Brian attended college at Michigan Tech and graduated in May with a Chemical Engineering degree.  He currently works as a chemical engineer at Archer-Daniels-Midland in Marshall, Minnesota.  Brian runs six days a week and would like to run a Thanksgiving race this year, either in Duluth or the Twin Cities.

Kathy Westergren purposely did not develop a plan for the race or wear a watch.  Just out to run however she felt, Kathy ended up winning the women's race by over a minute.  Kathy is a first-year student at Gustavus Adolphus College.  She is participating on the GAC cross-country team this fall and is also looking forward to the indoor track season.  In June, Kathy ran a 1:44 at the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon and was one of the top twenty women.  Her long-term goal is to run a marathon someday.

Jeff Myers, of Superior, thought the race directors put on a good race, especially for the first year.  Jeff enjoyed the remarkable weather and was glad he chose this event to wrap up his racing season.  Jeff plans on gearing down his training to two or three days a week for the wintertime.  He usually runs outside until the roads get icy and then hits the treadmill to keep his fitness level up.  Jeff plans on running the Fitger's 5k next spring to kick off next year's racing schedule.

Sisters Kelly Erickson and Kim Grisim, both of Duluth, participated in their first race in ten years.  They planned on walking the event but got caught up in the enthusiasm and ended up jogging the first two miles.  Kelly and Kim are prodigious hikers, hiking a minimum of three days a week and usually more.  They both live near the Superior Hiking Trail, so that is their most common venue.  Their favorite trails outside of Duluth are at Gooseberry Falls.

Bob Gustafson, Public Relations Director for Grandma's Marathon, enjoyed the beautiful weather and the company of fellow runners.  A long-time runner, Bob has completed seven half-marathons throughout his career, including one in Las Vegas and one in Lake Tahoe.  He also ran the Twin Cities Marathon in 1997.  As you can imagine, Bob's work schedule is pretty hectic, but he tries to squeeze training runs in whenever he can.  He ran the Medtronic TC 10-Miler two weeks ago and is contemplating the Gobble Gallop on Thanksgiving.  Asked to pick the one thing he is most looking forward to next year, Bob didn't hesitate to choose online registration for Grandma's Marathon.  Bob is excited about how much easier the registration will be next year for both runners and Grandma's Marathon staff.  If you are considering running Grandma's, the snazzy new electronic registration will open in January.

Complete race results are available here at Northland Runner and on the race website.

Update: there are still tickets available for the Gene Curnow Benefit Dinner.  Here is the news item from last week:

Hello Fit Friend,

Attached is a flyer for a super fun fund raiser for an amazing man - Gene Curnow. If you have been around the running crowd in the past 20 years, you know him.

For many years he organized the NMTC fun runs that we all have enjoyed for a buck ($1).  He also directed the Voyager Ultra and is involved in many other races and events.

He got hit with a bit of a sickness last year and didn't have insurance. So we are putting on a fun night of food, frolic and homebrew!

If you have it in you, come to the party and support Gene.   We are planning a bit of a roast rather than a somber fund raiser.  So if you have a story or two about Gene that you want to share, bring it on!

Click this flyer below and pass it around to all your running buddies!