10 Years of Twin Cities Sports

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Let us take a trip down memory lane, all the way back to the year 1998. 

Back when Jesse “The Body” Ventura was just elected governor, films like Saving Private Ryan, Armageddon, and Godzilla were breaking box office records, and Madonna was making a comeback. 

We knew nothing of Googling, texting, spamming, YouTube or iPods. Ten years ago Britney Spears still donned her Catholic schoolgirl attire and bubble gum pop image, and no one even knew who Paris Hilton was.

The world has changed a lot since 1998. As is the nature of time, evolution can happen so gradually that we hardly notice the changes until we look back at where we once were from where we are today. With this issue of Twin Cities Sports we celebrate the magazine’s 10th anniversary. Much has changed in a decade.

In surveying a number of business owners, race directors, and other authorities on the Twin Cities sports’ scene, all agree on one thing: significant growth in every aspect of sports such as running, cycling and triathlon has occurred over the last 10 years. Even in our tight economy, these sports endure and thrive.

The Twin Cities is regularly cited as a community ahead of the curve when i t comes to sport and recreation. In particular, many sources indicate a boost in women’s participation in local races and events since 1998.

“We have seen an increase of female runners from just 30 percent in the late ’90s up to over 50 percent this past year,” says Paulette Odenthal of the Get in Gear 10K, 5K and 2K races. Odenthal serves as the executive director of the event, which has become a staple on Twin Cities running calendars.

Similar sentiments are echoed by Virginia Brophy Achman, the executive director of Twin Cities Marathon Inc., who says that while “the demographic among marathon runners remains steady at about 60 percent men and 40 percent women, shorter distances have seen a great increase in women and families.”

Whether it is the cause or the effect of the growing number of women participating in these events, as Brophy Achman suggested, there are also a greater number of family-friendly races, events and facilities these days.

Three Rivers Park District has made immense additions to its recreational offerings in the last decade, all of which can be enjoyed by both young and old. 

Jon Nauman, senior manager of research and evaluation for the district, says, “We’ve added three new facilities in the last ten years that are very distinctive from normal parks facilities.” 

These include Galewoods Farm in Minnetrista, Silverwood Park in St. Anthony, and The Landing, a living history park in Shakopee. In addition, miles of running and biking trails have been added. Officials now have snow-making capabilities at Elm Creek to cover cross-country ski trails in the unseasonably warm winters, and parking fees have been eliminated at all Three Rivers Park facilities. 

Along with the added real estate offered to recreating Twin Citians, the number of events in the Twin Cities has also exploded. Dave Olson, president of Erik’s Bike Shop, Inc., says: “Because there are so many great places to ride in the Twin Cities, so many great events, and so many people out there leading the way, Erik’s is seeing people from all walks of life coming in. Local events, particularly charity rides, have really grown. Rides like the MS150 and Red Ribbon Ride have a huge draw and big influence. Last year the City of Minneapolis started the Minneapolis Bike Tour and the turn-out was tremendous.”

The growth of triathlon over the last 10 years is particularly impressive. Minneapolis hosts the Life Time Fitness Triathlon, a world-class event that has reached racer capacity the last three years in a row.

Life Time Fitness athletic events director Marilyn Franzen explains the popularity of triathlon, saying, “Distances for triathlons are so varied, there’s something for just about anyone at any level of fitness, from the super sprint events and indoor tri’s, like we have at Life Time Fitness, to the ultra-distance, Ironman-style events.”

It’s this accessibility that has attracted so many newcomers to the sport of triathlon. That, and all the cool gear. Kevin O’Connor, owner of Gear West Bike and Triathlon, says: “When I would go to a race 10 years ago with my pimped-out bike, everyone would stare. Now my bike blends into the crowd. The use of high-end performance equipment has increased because of the availability of it to the masses. It used to be hard to find, but today many shops have it in stock.”

O’Connor is right. Sports have not escaped the wave of new technologies that have swept over our society since the turn of the millennium. Along with training Web sites, route-mapping technology and GPS came chip timing, technical T-shirts, fancy shoes, bikes, nutritionals and electrolyte drinks.

Olson of Erik’s Bike Shop agrees: “It’s really amazing. Suspension technology on mountain bikes is light years ahead of what it was 10 years ago. The use of advanced materials like carbon fiber have brought the weight of road bikes down to unbelievable ranges. We have a Specialized Tarmac SL2 road bike that weighs less than 14 pounds out of the box.  Bikes in every category are easier to use, more comfortable to ride and lighter weight.”

Mary Anderson, owner of Anderson Race Management, describes the leaps and bounds her business has made along with the high-tech gadgets and gear over the last decade. “The Internet has allowed race directors to be more productive,” she says. “Chip timing is, of course, another item that has changed things immensely. It’s made results and timing a lot faster. Computers weren’t as easily available to everybody 10 years ago and chip timing was just starting to come out.”

So as the world changes, so do our sports. The number of athletes in the Twin Cities, the number of events, the scale of the events, and the technology all continue to grow. Strip away all the bells and whistles, however, and sport is still what it has always been.

Heidi Keller-Miler of Minnesota Distance Running Association puts it aptly: “The running scene has changed a great deal, but running is really pretty simple at its core and thankfully, that hasn’t changed much. I think people from beginning runner to elite athlete enjoy the aspect of getting away from it all.”

While she speaks of running specifically, she identifies the lifeblood of local athletes in every sport: the ability to escape for a bit, enjoy the outdoors and spend time with family and friends while doing something good for ourselves.

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