A two-time Olympian, the women’s course record holder, and two fleet Minnesota natives are the latest additions to the professional fields at next week’s Medtronic TC 1 Mile set for Thursday evening, May 8 on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, event organizers Twin Cities In Motion announced today.

Joining a men’s field that already includes 2008 Olympic 1500-meter silver medalist Nick Willis, the defending Medtronic TC 1 Mile champion and the course record holder, are Canadian Olympian Nate Brannen, who has 3:52.63 mile to his credit, and Minnetonka High School graduate Will Leer, the 2013 USA Indoor mile and 3000-meter champion.

Added to the women’s field that boasts 2012 Medtronic TC 1 Mile champ and two-time USA 1 Mile Road champion Heather Kampf and Canadian Olympian Nicole Sifuentes, the Medtronic TC 1 Mile runner-up last year, are course record holder Sara Hall, the 2011 Medtronic TC 1 Mile champ, and Team USA Minnesota star Gabriele Grunewald, who, after winning the USA Indoor 3000-meter title this year, was the center of a disqualification controversy ultimately decided in her favor.

“We’re excited to see how our pro fields are shaping up,” Twin Cities In Motion executive director Virginia Brophy Achman said. “Each year our fields get stronger and stronger.  We’re pleased that Sara, Gabriele, and Will are coming back to run with us again, and excited to have Nate race in our event for the first time.”

A men’s and women’s combined prize purse of $25,000 awaits the professional fields at this year’s race.  Race winners who better the existing course records, will earn a $10,000 bonus in addition to the winner’s prize of $5,000. Hall’s 2011 women’s course record is 4:30.8; Willis’s men’s standard from a year ago is 3:56.1.

The Medtronic TC 1 Mile is the second stop on the 2014 Bring Back the Mile Tour, a nationwide Grand Prix with more than $90,000 in total prize money and a $7500 grand prize purse. The Medtronic TC 1 Mile, organized by Twin Cities In Motion, features an evening of races for runners of all ages and abilities. Action kicks off at 6:52 p.m. CDT and culminates with the professional races at 7:52 p.m. (women) and 8:04 p.m. (men). Start times subject to slight change.

Twin Cities In Motion will continue to note additions to the field and make other announcements about the event via its Twitter feed, @tcmarathon and with additional media releases. Follow conversation about the event at #TC1Mile.