Having your kids run events via the TC Kids Run Free program won’t guarantee they’ll end up Olympic contenders, but you never know.
It worked out that way for Ben Olson who started his running journey in TCM’s youth events and ended up in the Olympic Marathon Trials and will take the start line as part of the professional field at this fall’s Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon.
Ben ran his first Twin Cities In Motion race back in 2008 at the TC Kids Fieldhouse Fun Run on the University of Minnesota’s indoor track. He’s able to track his path as a runner from there, thanks to his mom’s scrapbook.
“I would’ve been seven at the time and I think it was my first race on an actual track surface,” Ben, now 24 years-old, remembered. “Flipping through the next pages in the scrapbook, it seems that was a catalyst to my interest in competitive running as I ran two more 5Ks that spring and then started racing at the USATF Junior Olympics Races later that summer.”
The scrapbook and the Twin Cities In Motion photo archives capture Ben lowering his times and rising in the results with annual participation in the Medtronic TC 1 Mile and other community races. But, Ben’s path wasn’t always perfectly smooth.
“As I continued to improve, my expectations for myself grew,” he told The Connection. “I put pressure on myself to perform and I was known around school as the kid who ran. I felt if I failed, my identity would crumble and that ultimately culminated in some difficult mental struggles in my final high school years.”
College helped Ben write new chapters to his running story.
“I chose to attend South Dakota State and from the beginning it was a great restart,” he shared. “I took some big steps forward freshman year in my relationship with running and was surrounded by great teammates. My final three years at South Dakota State I accomplished things I never thought were possible for myself. Most importantly, I learned to love running again and really enjoy the grind of seeing how good I could be.”
After qualifying for the Olympic Marathon Trials late in 2023 and then running the Trials in Orlando in February, Ben is excited to run this year’s Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon.
“I have watched the Twin Cities Marathon many times and it has always been on my bucket list to race,” he said. “The crowd is electric, and I feel it will be so fun to race in my home state. I hope to be in good form so I can really attack the race and make the most of it.”
No matter where the race ultimately fits into Ben’s story, he expects to appreciate where running has taken and will continue to take him.
“I have a lot to thank running for,” Ben noted, “not only did I meet my best friends through the sport but also my fiancé, Caitlin. Sharing a love for running with her is special as we can support each other through struggles and celebrate the wins together. Going on runs with her is one of my favorite things.”
This article originally appeared in the TCM's weekly e-newsletter, The Connection. Subscribe to the Connection here.
Photos provided by Ben Olson