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Media contact Gary Kruchowski, (218) 733-7649, g.kruchowski@lsc.edu
For immediate release: Feb 8, 2006
Train for Grandma's Marathon and Earn College Credit through Lake Superior College
(Duluth, Minn.) - It promises to be a grueling final exam! Imagine running 26.2 miles as your final exam for a college course. Duluth"s Lake Superior College (LSC) is offering a unique online course that allows students to earn two physical education (PE) credits by training for and running in Grandma?s Marathon or the associated Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon. Enrolled students will be required to complete online coursework, participate in and document a personal training program, and run a race to earn a grade in the course.
The course, PE 2999 - Running a Marathon, is a 2-credit physical education class offered primarily online. The late-start spring term class begins on March 20, 2006 and continues through June 23. It covers the nutritional and conditioning information related to distance running and requires participation in a marathon.
In addition to standard tuition and fees, a special fee of $60 will be charged to provide guaranteed entry to the June 2006 Grandma?s Marathon or Half Marathon. To maintain flexibility for distant learners, students may also complete the course requirements by training for and running a comparable race at a different location.
Grandma's Marathon is one of America?s most highly regarded road races. Run along the scenic north shore of Lake Superior, between Two Harbors and the Canal Park district of Duluth, Minnesota, it features an excellent course, enthusiastic volunteers, and crowds of spectators to cheer runners on as they stride to the finish line. The 30th annual Grandma's Marathon weekend is June 16 through June 18, and will feature some of the finest road racing in the nation with athletes from around the globe competing in the marathon, the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon and William A. Irvin 5K. Last year?s events drew over 16,000 participants from 30 different countries and all 50 states. For more information, log onto www.grandmasmarathon.com
Grandma's Marathon record holder Dick Beardsley will be the coach/teacher for this online P.E. offering. He will be joined by LSC faculty member, Joshua Tesch. Beardsley, a two-time Grandma's champion, set the course record in 1981. Beardsley is also noted for running the fourth fastest U.S. men's marathon of all time (Boston, 1982). In that race, he finished a close second to Alberto Salazar in a legendary race that has been dubbed "The Duel in the Sun."
With more than 130 courses offered via the Internet and over 725 full time equivalent students, Lake Superior College's Virtual Campus is a leader in providing online for-credit college classes in Minnesota. Over the past year, LSC has offered virtual training courses in cooperation with some of the Midwest most prestigious sporting events, including the American Birkerbiener, the NorthShore Inline Marathon and Grandma?s Marathon. More than 30 students completed the Grandma?s course in 2005.
For more information, contact Christine Torma, (218)733-2030, virtual@lsc.edu or visit www.lsc.edu/online/.
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