3/4/2008

Minneapolis/St. Paul - March 4, 2008 - Five Team USA Minnesota runners will travel to Jacksonville, Florida, this weekend to compete in the 31st annual Gate River Run, which is also the site of the USA 15k Championships for men and women. More than 13,000 participants are expected to run on March 8 in what is billed as the largest 15k in the country.

One of the top seeds in the women's race will be Katie McGregor , who will be making her third appearance at Gate River. She was fourth in the 2007 event where she ran a personal best of 49:56 in the distance; in 2006 she placed third. McGregor most recently was fourth in the 3000 meters at the USA Indoor Championships on Feb. 23, and earlier in February was fourth in the 8k at the USA Cross Country Championships to earn a sixth consecutive spot on the U.S. World Cross Country team.

Also in the women's race will be Mandi Zemba who most recently was a member of the Yokohama Women's Ekiden team in Japan on Feb. 24. Zemba ran a 5k leg of the relay in 15:40. She has a best on the roads in the 10k of 33:43 which she set last fall at Tufts.

Among the elite men will be Jason Lehmkuhle , who was second at the USA Half Marathon Championships in January in a personal best time of 1:02:32 and fifth at the U.S. Men's Olympic Marathon Team Trials in November in a personal best of 2:12:54. Lehmkuhle placed fifth at the 2007 USA 15k Championships at Gate River with a time of 44:19.

Also representing Team USA Minnesota will be Andrew Carlson and Matt Gabrielson . This will be Carlson's third appearance at Gate River having run the race in 2006 and 2007. He has a best in the distance of 45:23. Gabrielson will be making his second trip to Jacksonville for the 15k - in 2006 he was sixth in 45:35. In January of this year he was 9th at the USA Half Marathon Championships.

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