By Aidan Rice
KYMN Intern
Over 200 runners from several states will lace up their running shoes in Dundas this Sunday.
The Mill Towns Race Series, now in its fifth year, will draw a variety of runners, as young as 12 years old, and from as far away as Maine.
The course, which begins in Dundas’ Memorial Park and runs up and down the banks of the Cannon River, features the East Cannon River Trail on one side and the Mill Towns State Trail on the other to form a loop just over six miles long.
The event began in 2020 with 50 runners, said Amy Nugent, president and founder of Your Pace or Mine Running Club, which organizes the race. Since then, the race has grown incrementally each year: “We just want to make sure that we learn everything we need to learn before we get too big,” said Nugent.
The race series, which kicks off with the marathon at 7:30 a.m., and also includes a half marathon and a 10K, is associated with Project Purple, an organization aimed at raising awareness and funding research of pancreatic cancer.
“Over the course of the event … we’ve donated over $25,000,” Nugent said, including over $12,000 raised last year.
Other trail users can expect minimal disruptions to their experience after runners disperse following the race’s start. Most racers will have finished by early afternoon.
Aidan Rice is a student at St. Olaf College and a KYMN News intern. Contact him through Rich Larson at rich@kymnradio.net
