MINNEAPOLIS - Sept. 29, 2014 -Medtronic and Twin Cities In Motion, the organizers of the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, today announced a five-year, $2.5 million agreement that will keep Medtronic as the title sponsor of the Twin Cities Marathon and three additional Twin Cities In Motion events through 2020: the TC 1 Mile, TC Family Events, and TC 10 Mile.  Additionally, Medtronic will continue to support the Medtronic TC Kids Marathon, a nationally recognized youth running program that promotes exercise, wellness and healthy lifestyles.

Since Medtronic became title sponsor of the four events in 2006, Twin Cities In Motion has seen event participation increase more than 42 percent. A recent Twin Cities survey shows that 21 percent of the population is jogging or running, a 25 percent increase since 2009.  The demand for running has prompted Twin Cities In Motion to offer nine additional events that occur throughout the year, in addition to marathon weekend, as well as five TC Challenge Race Series. The Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, dubbed the "The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America®," is the 9th largest marathon in the United States.

"This partnership clearly has enabled us to do more to promote health and fitness in Minnesota," said Virginia Brophy Achman, Twin Cities In Motion executive director.  "We have more children and family members running in TCM events than ever before, and we will continue to expand our reach with our award-winning TC Kids Program." 

More than 5,000 children participate annually in one of three Medtronic TC Kids Marathon events, and have run a collective 316,887 miles since the program's inception in 2006. The program offers an opportunity for children from diverse communities and socioeconomic backgrounds in the Twin Cities area to experience the benefits of physical activity and satisfaction of accomplishing meaningful goals. The Medtronic TC Kids Marathon was named the Youth Program of the Year in 2009 and the Youth Running Event of the Year in 2008 by Running USA.

"These world-class events provide an exceptional opportunity for all Minnesotans to come together to run, walk, wheel, volunteer and connect as a community," says Dr. Jacob Gayle, vice president, Medtronic Philanthropy.  "We hope our continued support allows Twin Cities In Motion to continue its impressive growth, while bringing even more people from all over the world to the Twin Cities to celebrate their passion for running and for life."

In addition to the event sponsorship, Medtronic partners with Twin Cities In Motion to manage the Medtronic Global Heroes program, which celebrates runners from around the world who have a medical device to treat conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, chronic pain, and spinal and neurological disorders. This year 25 runners representing 10 countries will be participating in the program, running either the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon or Medtronic TC 10 Mile. Since the program's inception, a total of 209 Global Heroes representing 28 countries have run in marathon weekend events.

About Twin Cities In Motion (TCM): Twin Cities In Motion organizes the region's premier running events, including the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, a Top 10 U.S. Marathon. With a mission of promoting healthy lifestyles through running events and community outreach, TCM contributes a portion of every race dollar to local youth and professional athletes and helps raise more than $800,000 annually with its charity partners. For more information, visit us at tcmevents.org, or find us on Facebook and on Twitter @tcmarathon.

About Medtronic Philanthropy
Medtronic Philanthropy focuses on expanding access to quality chronic disease care among underserved populations worldwide, in addition to supporting health initiatives in communities where Medtronic employees live and give.

About Medtronic
Medtronic, Inc. (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical technology-alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world.

###

Contacts:
Rich Fischer
Medtronic Philanthropy
+1-763-505-2975

Breanne Hegg
Twin Cities In Motion
+1-651-289-7704