White Bear Lake’s Joel Reichow is first to ever win half and full Grandma’s Marathon in career

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DULUTH — To supplement his running career, 31-year-old Joel Reichow works about 25 hours a week selling shoes at Fleet Feet in Minneapolis. Inside the store where he has worked the past seven years is a poster of Grandma’s Marathon legends Dick Beardsley and Garry Bjorklund.

Reichow took a picture in front of the poster this week and posted it to Instagram ahead of his first full marathon along Minnesota’s North Shore.

He even cut his mustache as a tribute to them for the pic.

“Celebrating Grandma’s Marathon week with an epic throwback pic of Minnesota legends Dick Beardsley and Garry Bjorklund battling it out at Grandma’s in 1981!” Reichow posted on Instagram. “I’ve raced the Garry Bjorklund Half a few times, but this weekend will be my first time doing the full there! Hopefully, we can make some magic happen!”

The White Bear Lake resident sure did make some magic in his first attempt at running Grandma’s Marathon. He traversed the North Shore from Two Harbors to Canal Park in Duluth in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 58 seconds, to become just the fourth Minnesotan to win the men’s title in the state’s oldest and largest marathon.

Reichow is the first American to win the men’s marathon since Chris Raabe of Sauk Rapids, Minn., in 2009 and only the second American to win the men’s race in the last 30 years.

A member of Minnesota Distance Elite, Reichow is the first man or woman to win both the full and half marathons. He won the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in 2023 and came in fourth a year ago in the 13.1-mile race.

Dakotah Popehn — an Olympian and two-time Grandma’s Marathon women’s champion — again fell just short of becoming the first to claim that honor Saturday when she took second in the Bjorklund to Annie Frisbie for the second consecutive summer.

“This was my goal. I wanted to chase it. Dream big,” Reichow said of winning Grandma’s on Saturday. “I knew there was a lot of good people. I just needed to play smart.

“I would have loved to chase the record (2:09:06), but it was a little muggy today. I think we were kind of on that pace early with the surges, but probably by 10K it was pretty obvious we weren’t going to chase that.”

Bjorklund and Beardsley both won Grandma’s Marathon twice between 1977-82, when five of the first six winners in Grandma’s Marathon history were Americans. Americans won 11 of the first 19 Grandma’s Marathons between 1977 and 1995, with Bjorklund winning the first in 1977.

Kenyans had won 10 straight Grandma’s Marathon men’s titles coming into the 49th running, and 38-year-old Sammy Rotich — who has finished in the top 10 twice, including second in 2022 — led the race at Lemon Drop Hill. Reichow reeled Rotich in on London Road and opened up what would finally be a 46-second difference at the finish line.

In addition to Rotich, Reichow bested two Grandma’s Marathon Hall of Famers — five-time champion Elisha Barno and two-time champ/event record holder Dominic Ondoro. Both failed to finish the race Saturday, with Ondoro dropping out late after being part of a large lead pack at the midway point.

“I knew it was going to be hard, I knew it was going to hurt, but I thought it was within my means,” Reichow said of winning Saturday. “You can’t race scared. You have to trust yourself.”

On the women’s side, Lilian Chebii of Kenya has run just two marathons in her life. The 31-year-old finished as runner-up in her first marathon in 2024, taking second at the Nairobi City Marathon in 2:28:29.

On Saturday in Duluth, she got a win in her second shot at the 26.2-mile distance, winning the Grandma’s Marathon women’s title in 2:25:14, beating the rest of the field by two minutes.

In the wheelchair division, Luis Francisco Sanclemente won his second consecutive Grandma’s Marathon in 1:26:02. Vanessa Cristina de Souza, a two-time Paralympian from Brazil, won the women’s wheelchair division in 1:39:55.

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Twins quieted in loss to Brewers

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It may have turned into one of Simeon Woods Richardson’s better starts this year, but it sure didn’t start that way. Woods Richardson slogged through a 30-pitch first inning, giving up a pair of runs. He allowed another two runs in the second inning. But then he settled in, finishing his day off with four strong, scoreless innings.

By then, the Twins were already in a four-run hole. And with no run support to speak of, that spelled doom on Saturday in their 9-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on a steamy day at Target Field.

A day after Brewers rookie starter Jacob Misiorowski flirted with a perfect game, the Twins managed only slightly more against veteran southpaw Jose Quintana, who gave up three scattered hits in his six innings.

Quintana did issue four walks, creating some opportunities for the Twins, but they finished the day 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position as they continued to sputter.

The Twins have now lost eight of their past nine games, five straight series and seven of their past eight series.

The Twins finished with just four hits, though none from infielder Brooks Lee, whose 19-game hitting streak was the longest active streak in Major League Baseball when it came to an end on Saturday.

Harrison Bader #12 of the Minnesota Twins slides safely into first after the Milwaukee Brewers caught a fly ball for an out in the second inning at Target Field on June 21, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)
Milwaukee Brewers’ Sal Frelick (10) hits a single off of Minnesota Twins pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 21, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bailey Hillesheim)

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Gophers football: California QB flips to UMN from Boston College

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The Gophers football program flipped California prep quarterback Furian Inferrera from a commitment to Boston College on Saturday.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound product in the 2027 class is from Mater Dei High School and Santa Ana, Calif. The to-be junior with a three-star rating pledged to Boston College in February, with Minnesota offering on May 1.

As a sophomore at the national powerhouse, Inferrera was a backup to Dash Beierly, who has joined the Washington Huskies. Inferrera completed 75% of his passes (12 of 16) for 133 yards and one touchdown across nine games.

Inferrera, who is pegged as the 36th-best QB in the 2027 class, had nine offers, including Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Memphis and Oregon State.

The Gophers plucked a previous QB recruit out of California, with Jackson Kollock coming to the U from Laguna Beach in the 2025 class.

Inferrera joins Wayzata defensive lineman Eli Diane as early entrants in Minnesota’s 2027 class.

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Your Money: The biggest mistake people make with money

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Bruce Helmer and Peg Webb

For many folks who are planning for their financial futures, the cardinal sins are well known: overspending and under saving.

But for high net worth investors who have already achieved financial security many times over, a different kind of mistake may be quietly taking root, and it may be costing more than money. The real risk? Not spending enough of your wealth while you can still enjoy it.

Traditional financial planning guidance focuses on accumulation: saving diligently, investing wisely and avoiding lifestyle inflation. This advice is irrefutably sound, but only up to a point. What happens when you’ve already “won the game”? You’ve saved more than enough to retire comfortably, your portfolio is healthy, and your children’s educations are funded.

Yet many still live as though scarcity lurks around the corner.

Recent research reveals a surprising trend. A recent Wall Street Journal article reported that married retirees with at least $100,000 in assets withdrew just 2.1% annually — barely half the commonly recommended 4% rule. Even among the wealthy, a deeply ingrained fear of running out of money often keeps people from tapping into savings, preferring to rely on guaranteed income sources such as a pension or Social Security.

This caution is understandable but often unnecessary. Many families are in a financial position where thoughtful spending poses no real threat to long-term security. Instead, underspending can result in missed opportunities during the healthiest and most active years of life. In some cases we see older parents whose wealth could help move their children and grandchildren to greater financial security but choose not to.

And it’s not just about spending more on travel and luxury. Many delay meaningful experiences — supporting family goals, philanthropy, or even health-enhancing investments — until it’s too late. Gerontologists and financial advisers alike know this to be true: by the time people feel “safe enough” to spend, their energy, health or time may be in short supply.

Why do so many people fall into this trap? Decades of saving can entrench a scarcity mindset. Cognitive biases like loss aversion cause people to avoid drawing down assets, even when logic suggests they can afford to. Mental accounting, where money is treated differently depending on its origin, also plays a role. Many retirees view their investment accounts as “untouchable,” preserving them for future generations or rainy days that never come.

So what’s the alternative? First, consider dynamic withdrawal strategies that adjust based on portfolio performance, rather than rigid rules. Second, explore converting part of your portfolio into guaranteed income strategies that can provide psychological permission to spend a bit more freely. Finally, work with a financial adviser who doesn’t just plan for asset growth, but helps coach you toward a life well-lived.

At the core, wealth is a tool, not just for security or legacy, but for joy, purpose and presence. If you’ve done the work to build a strong financial foundation, don’t let an outdated mindset hold you back.

Because sometimes, the biggest financial mistake isn’t spending too much — it’s not spending enough.

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The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.

Bruce Helmer and Peg Webb are financial advisers at Wealth Enhancement Group and co-hosts of “Your Money” on WCCO 830 AM on Sunday mornings. Email Bruce and Peg at yourmoney@wealthenhancement.com. Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, a registered investment advisor. Wealth Enhancement Group and Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services are separate entities from LPL Financial.