Olympic Runner Will Speak With Duluth Kids Before Marathon

Excitement is building for the running of the 2021 Grandma's Marathon, and some Duluth children will get a unique opportunity to speak to an Olympian.

2012 Olympian Ruben Sanca, one of three members of the 2012 Cape Verdean Olympic team, will speak to kids at the Boys & Girls Club in Duluth at 1 PM on Wednesday, June 16th, located inside the Duluth Heritage Sports Center.

Cape Verdean is a small island country off the coast of Africa, and Sanca holds four national running records, including the marathon record of 2:18:47 which he broke in 2011. Sanca's last marathon was in the 2018 Berlin Marathon in which he got a time of 2:21:01.

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Sanca initially signed up as a charity runner for the 2021 Grandma’s Marathon and raised nearly $600 that will be donated to the Young Athletes Foundation, he is now part of the elite field for Saturday’s race that can be heard live on The Fan 106.5 - The Northland's Home For Sports.

The 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games get underway on July 23rd, and Sanca says his goal is to qualify for the upcoming games. Track and Field events are scheduled to begin on July 30th in Tokyo.

After a year break due to the pandemic, Grandma's Marathon is back this weekend and so is the entertainment with live music scheduled for Bayfront Park on Saturday night.