On the women's side, last year, Semenova, competed for the first time as a master at TCM, finished 4th overall and won the masters title. Semenova will face a strong field of challengers including 1999 TCM champion Kim Pawelek of Arden, NC, 2002 runner-up Jill Boaz of Los Osos, CA (both won national titles at TCM) and Firaya Sultanova-Zhdanova of Russia, the two-time Grandma's Marathon champion who narrowly missed the world masters record in the marathon with her 2:27:05 in Duluth in 2003.

A passel of contenders hoping to make their first big splash at TCM include Russians Alevtina Biktimorova, Victoria Klimina, Irina Permitina and Silvia Skvortsova who finished 3rd at TCM in 2001. Elena Fadeeva of the Ukraine is also expected to challenge.

In addition, Brainerd Minnesota native Turena Johnson Lane of Statesboro, GA is an especially intriguing prospect for the race. Johnson Lane, who finished 6th at TCM last year, won the USA 20K title in early September with a breakthrough performance that could augur bigger things for her at the marathon distance.

On the men's side, Kipkemboi, who owns the masters record at TCM with his 2:11:45, second place clocking in 2002 (also the U.S. All-Comers Record) - will face both the challenge of time - he's now 45-years-old - and rivals on the streets connecting the Metrodome and the State Capitol. Fellow Kenyan master Jackson Kipng'ok, who ran just a few steps behind Kipkemboi in 2002, returns to challenge for masters and overall supremacy, as does Fedor Ryzhov of Russia the overall and masters runner-up last year.

Perhaps the sentimental favorite this year will be 1997 Boston Marathon Champion Lameck Aguta. Aguta was a victim in 1997 of an automobile accident in his native Kenya where he was subsequently robbed, beaten and left for dead. He continues his inspiring comeback at TCM.

Other international standouts include Gabriel Muchiri of Kenya, 4th at TCM in 2003 after leading the race onto Summit Avenue; Mohamed Nazipov a top masters runner from Russia; Dmitry Kapitonov of Russia and Augustus Kavutu of Kenya.

Looking to challenge the old guard and the international runners is an intriguing group of U.S. marathoners which include 2001 USA Marathon champion Scott Larson of Boulder, CO; 2002 USA Half-Marathon champion and 2000 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials runner-up Peter De La Cerda of Alamosa, CO; former U.S. marathon record-holder David Morris of Albuquerque, NM; Patrick Muturi of Pullman, WA, the 1996-97 Grandma's Marathon champion; Jimmy Hearld of Louisville, KY; Scott Strand of Birmingham, AL; Teren Jameson of Salt Lake City, UT and Minnesota native Marty Rosendahl of Rochester Hills, Michigan.

At TCM, U.S. runners will not only compete for $147,000 Open prize money, but also for the $100,000 purse dedicated by TCM to American athletes. The total prize purse for TCM in 2004 is $327,000.

TCM will once again host the USA Masters Marathon Championship. Dennis Simonaitis of Draper, UT, who was the USA Masters Championship runner-up in 2003 and Antoni Niemczak of Albuquerque, NM, who was third head the men's field. Minnesota's own Janet Robertz returns to defend the USA Masters title she won at TCM last year. Challenging her will be 2003 runner-up Lisa Vaill of Gainsville, FL and Susan Loken of Phoenix, AZ, who beat Robertz this spring at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in St. Louis.

The 2004 Twin Cities Marathon weekend is October 1-3. The three-day weekend celebration of fitness includes a 5K run/walk, children's fun runs, pasta dinner, two-day health and fitness expo and a 10-mile race in addition to the marathon. Twin Cities Marathon, a Running USA Founding Member, continues its 14th consecutive year as the designated USATF National Masters Championship for both men and women. Major corporate sponsors for the marathon are Cub Foods and Seagate Technology. Twin Cities Marathon, Inc. is a non-profit organization that directs the TCM weekend as a community service for the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Visit www.twincitiesmarathon.org for more information.

Twin Cities Marathon Elite Field
As of September 29, 2004

MEN
Bib #/Name/PR/Country
2 Scott Larson USA 2:14:57
3 Jimmy Hearld USA 2:12:50
4 Dmitry Kapitonov RUS 2:09:32
5 Scott Strand USA 2:16:52
6 Peter De La Cerda USA 2:14:41
7 David Morris USA 2:09:31
8 Gabriel Muchiri KEN 2:14:53
9 Patrick Muturi USA 2:08:59
10 Augustus Kavutu KEN 2:12:39
11 Michael Mislay TAN 2:14:25
12 Peter Gilmore USA 2:15:44
15 Lameck Aguta KEN 2:10:03
16 Nikolai Antoniko UKR 2:13:51
17 Martin Rosendahl USA Debut
18 Teren Jameson USA Debut
19 Ryan Meissen USA 2:19
20 Chris Banks USA 2:18:52
25 Dave Davis USA Debut

MASTERS MEN
102 Joshua Kipkemboi KEN 2:11:42
103 Jackson Kipng'ok KEN 2:11:51
104 Dennis Simonaitis USA 2:14:14
105 Mohamed Nazipov RUS 2:10:34
106 Fedor Ryzhov RUS 2:13:04
107 Antoni Niemczak USA 2:10:34
108 Abrahim Limo KEN 2:13:38
109 David Olds USA 2:13
110 Keith Brantly USA 2:12:31
111 John Mirth USA 2:18:59
112 Danny Gonzalez USA 2:13:14

WOMEN
F2 Kim Pawelek USA 2:37:58
F3 Jill Boaz USA 2:34:54
F5 Victoria Klimina RUS 2:28:30
F6 Silvia Skvortsova RUS 2:27:07
F7 Alevtina Biktimirova RUS 2:32:32
F8 Elena Fadeeva UKR 2:33:03
F9 Irina Permitina RUS 2:33:19
F10 Turena Johnson Lane USA 2:40:12
F11 Mary Akor USA 2:40:37
F12 Michell Simonaitis USA 2:40:35
F17 Diana Bowser USA 2:47:07
F26 Janelle Kraus USA Debut
F27 Chris Lundy USA 2:41:55
F35 Liz Wilson USA 2:37:25

MASTERS WOMEN
F101 Zinaida Semenova RUS 2:26:51
F102 Firaya Sultanova-Zhdanova RUS 2:27:05
F103 Jennifer Rapaport USA 2:47:39
F104 Susan Loken USA 2:44:19
F105 Janet Robertz USA 2:43:13
F106 Gayle Jacklin USA 2:51:46
F107 Gloria Jansen USA 2:58:19
F108 Lisa Vaill USA 2:37:12
F109 Janice Addison USA 2:47
F110 Meghan Arbogast USA 2:45:48
F112 Rosalva Bonilla USA 2:40

source Running USA