Stillwater is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Washington County. It is in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, on the west bank of the St. Croix River, across from Houlton, Wisconsin. Stillwater's population was 19,394 at the 2020 census. Stillwater is often called "the birthplace of Minnesota" due to its role in the establishment of the state.
The St. Croix River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 169 miles (272 km) long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The lower 125 miles (201 km) of the river form the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The river is a National Scenic Riverway under the protection of the National Park Service. A hydroelectric plant at the Saint Croix Falls Dam supplies power to the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area.
Minnesota State Highway 36 (MN 36) is a 21.718-mile-long (34.952 km) highway in Minnesota, which runs from its interchange with Interstate 35W (I-35W) in Roseville and continues east to its eastern terminus at the Wisconsin state line, where it becomes Wisconsin Highway 64 (WIS 64) upon crossing the St. Croix River at the St. Croix Crossing bridge. MN 36 is a major freeway in suburban Minneapolis–Saint Paul from its western terminus to its intersection with MN 120, at which point it becomes an at-grade expressway.
The Twin Cities Marathon is a marathon in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area which normally takes place the first weekend in October. The race is often called "The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America" due to a course that winds through downtown districts, then along parkways that hug lakes and waterways all throughout dense urban forests in the neighborhoods of both cities.
The Stillwater Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge crossing the St. Croix River between Stillwater, Minnesota, and Houlton, Wisconsin. It formerly connected Minnesota State Highway 36 and Wisconsin Highway 64. Around 18,000 vehicles crossed the bridge daily. The new St. Croix Crossing bridge crossing the St. Croix river valley to the south of Stillwater replaced its purpose, having opened to highway traffic on August 2, 2017, leaving the Stillwater Lift Bridge to be preserved and to be converted to bicycle/pedestrian use.
Grandma's Marathon (Grandma's) is an annual road race held each June in Duluth, Minnesota, in the United States. The course runs point-to-point from the city of Two Harbors on Scenic Route 61 and continues along Lake Superior into the city of Duluth. The finish is located in Canal Park, near Grandma's Restaurant, which is next to the highly visible Aerial Lift Bridge.
Minnesota State Highway 95 is a 126.892-mile-long (204.213 km) highway in east-central Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highway 23 near St. Cloud and continues east and south to its southern terminus at its intersection with U.S. Highways 61 / 10 (co-signed) at Cottage Grove.
Irina Permitina is a Russian long distance runner, who won the bronze medal in the marathon at the 2006 European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg. She is the women's course record holder for the Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, along with fellow Russian Zinaida Semenova, who ran the same time in 2001.
The Fargo Marathon is an annual road running marathon in Fargo, North Dakota, first held in 2005. Most years, it begins and ends inside the Fargodome, and the course also travels through Moorhead, Minnesota, Fargo's twin city. The event weekend also hosts a half marathon, 10K, and 5K. The race is a USATF-qualified course, so marathon finish times can be used to qualify for the Boston Marathon. The event has been sponsored by Sanford Health.
The New York City Half Marathon is an annual half marathon road running race from Brooklyn's Prospect Park to Manhattan's Central Park via the Manhattan Bridge, held since 2006. It passes through or by Times Square, Grand Central, and both Grand Army Plazas. New York Road Runners (NYRR) administers the race.
Amane Gobena Gemeda[nb] is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes primarily in road running events. She has a marathon best of 2:23:50 hours.
The Great Scottish Run is a series of mass-participation road running events, held annually in the streets of Glasgow, Scotland in October. The event began as a full marathon in 1979, but later changed to a weekend of shorter events. The weekend now includes short events for children, a 10K roadrace, and a half marathon. The 2013 event, which was sponsored by the Bank of Scotland, featured over 30,000 competitors. It is the largest mass-participation sporting event in Scotland.
The St. Croix Crossing is an extradosed bridge that spans the St. Croix River, between Oak Park Heights, Minnesota and St. Joseph, Wisconsin. Connecting Minnesota State Highway 36 and Wisconsin State Highway 64, the bridge carries four lanes of traffic, and includes a bike/pedestrian path on the north side.
The Mankato Marathon is an annual marathon race in Mankato, Minnesota, United States, that was first run in 2010. The race weekend now brings nearly 5,000 runners to the city for several races: the marathon, a marathon four-person relay, a half marathon, a 10K run, a 5K run, children's runs. The race course is certified by the USATF, making it a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon.
The Med City Marathon is an annual marathon in Rochester, Minnesota, started 1996. The race course is certified by the USATF and is one of the races in the US that can qualify a runner for the Boston Marathon. Although the race was formerly a point-to-point course from the Rochester International Airport, to the Mayo Civic Center in downtown Rochester, the 25th running in 2021 saw a course change to a two-loop route around the city. Previously, Mayo Clinic and Scheels were main sponsors of the marathon. In 2021, Rochester's Active PT and Sports became the main sponsor.
The Bemidji Blue Ox Marathon is a race in Bemidji, Minnesota, first run in 2013. The race runs around a lake, along a state trail and through a state park. It takes place in October, when many of the forest surroundings are bright with color.
The Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon is a 26.2 mile foot race from Holdingford, Minnesota, to St. Joseph, Minnesota, on a paved trail called the Lake Wobegon Trail. The course is USATF-certified, making it a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon. The race is sponsored and organized by the St. Cloud River Runners, a running group active since 1983 with about 150 members.
The Altoona Subdivision or Altoona Sub is a 90.7-mile (146.0 km) railway line owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad in the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. The line originates in Saint Paul, Minnesota, crosses the St. Croix River on the Hudson Bridge into Hudson, Wisconsin, and eventually terminates in Altoona, Wisconsin where it connects to the Wyeville Subdivision. This subdivision is formerly a Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NW) mainline, on which the Twin Cities 400 operated in the mid 1900s.
Dominic Ondoro is a Kenyan long-distance runner best known for holding the course records at Minnesota's Grandma's Marathon and the Twin Cities Marathon. He has won many other major marathons, some multiple times, such as the 2017 and 2023 Houston Marathon in Texas, his two Melbourne Marathon wins in Australia and his unrivaled four Twin Cities Marathon wins in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Sammy Malakwen is a middle- and long-distance runner from Kenya who also trained in Two Harbors, Minnesota. He has won several major marathons, and has finished in the top 10 of several major road races.
