Nick Willis Breaks Medtronic TC 1 Mile Record, Pockets $15,000
Sarah Brown Nips Olympian Nicole Sifuentes for Women’s Title
Twin Cities In Motion Press Release
May 9, 2013
Minneapolis, Minn. – Olympic silver medalist Nick Willis extended his season winning streak to eight races with a record-breaking victory at the Medtronic TC 1 Mile in Minneapolis. The New Zealand native clocked 3:56.2 to break three-time Medtronic TC 1 Mile champion David Torrence’s 2011 record of 3:58.4.
In the women’s professional race, Sarah Brown of Atlanta, Ga., the 2010 runner-up, edged Canadian Olympian Nicole Sifuentes at the tape in 4:33.3, with Sifuentes clocked at 4:33.4. Defending champion Heather Kampf of Minneapolis was third with 4:34.1.
More than 3100 runners participated in the 9th annual event which raised $10,000 for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. The event, which raced through the heart of downtown Minneapolis, consisted of seven waves of runners of all ages and paces.
The 30-year-old Willis, who won his silver medal at the Beijing Games in 2008, blasted away from the field in the late-going, but eased his way to the finish line in the final meters despite the $10,000 record bonus.
“I took the lead with about 450 m to go,” the University of Michigan graduate said. “I wanted to save something for the end if I needed it.”
Winona, Minnesota native Garrett Heath finished second at 3:57.3. Macklin Chaffee, of Boulder, Colorado, was third in 3:58.1. Six men broke four minutes in the event; the top three broke the existing record.
Brown, who met her runner-husband at the 2010 Medtronic TC 1 Mile, needed all 5280 feet of the mile to catch Sifuentes at the tape of the women’s race. Anxious minutes ticked by until Brown was announced the winner.
“I thought, if the wind’s at my back, I want to just go for it,” Brown said. “My goal was to lead it … [but] I had to maneuver a little bit more than I planned. A road mile is a lot different than a track race. It’s anybody’s game.”
The Medtronic TC 1 Mile was the fifth stop on the inaugural Bring Back the Mile Tour that includes 14 events and one end-of-the-year gala held across the country and throughout the year.
“We had an amazing night,” Twin Cities In Motion executive director Virginia Brophy Achman said. “From the Friends and Family Wave at the start of the night, to the Corporate Team Challenge, our fundraising for Boston, and the two fantastic professional races that climaxed the night, we feel exhilarated by everything that happened tonight.”
Elite Results:
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FEMALE OVERALL
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1 27 Sarah Brown Atlanta GEO 26 F 4:33.3
2 4 Nicole Sifuentes Plymouth MIC 26 F 4:33.4
3 1 Heather Kampf Minneapolis MN 26 F 4:34.1
4 5 Gen Lacaze Gainesville FLO 23 F 4:35.0
5 6 Phoebe Wright Knoxville TEN 24 F 4:36.7
6 11 Kellyn Johnson Flagstaff ARI 26 F 4:37.5
7 8 Jamie Cheever Minneapolis MN 26 F 4:39.7
8 13 Elizabeth Yetzer Lakeville MN 25 F 4:40.7
9 36 Hannah Wanjiru Coon Rapids MN 25 F 4:47.8
10 10 Ashley Miller Lincoln NEB 24 F 4:48.2
11 14 Clerc Simpson Maple Grove MN 26 F 4:49.4
12 9 Meghan Peyton Richfield MN 27 F 4:52.8
13 37 Laura Paulsen Minneapolis MN 24 F 5:05.7
14 25 Andrea Rediger Plymouth MN 24 F 5:15.6
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MALE OVERALL
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1 51 Nick Willis Ann Arbor MIC 30 M 3:56.2
2 57 Garrett Heath Winona MN 29 M 3:57.3
3 62 MacKlin Chaffee Boulder COL 26 M 3:58.1
4 52 William Leer Wayzata MN 28 M 3:59.3
5 60 Craig Huffer Boston MAS 23 M 3:59.4
6 50 Craig Miller Colorado Sprin COL 25 M 3:59.7
7 58 Scott Smith Flagstaff ARI 26 M 4:06.9
8 56 Jonathan Peterson Roseville MN 24 M 4:08.6
9 90 Nahom Mesfin Flagstaff AZ 23 M 4:08.8
10 61 MacK McLain Golden COL 24 M 4:09.6
11 80 Elly Sang Coon Rapids MN 22 M 4:17.4
12 97 Jordan Carlson Inver Grove Ht MN 23 M 4:19.5
Complete results can be found here.