A listing of athletes born in Minnesota who have left their mark in the Track and Field world.
- Dick Beardsley (Minneapolis, MN)
Long Distance Runner; Best known for his 1982 Boston Marathon “Duel in the Sun” with Alberto Salazar (who had won three consecutive New York City Marathons). He is a two-time Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier who became addicted to pain killers following a farming accident. He went on to establish a foundation to educate the public on chemical dependency and speaks about drug addiction world-wide. - Fortune Gordien (Minneapolis, MN)
Three-time NCAA discus champion who won bronze at the 1948 Olympics, silver in 1956. Held the world record from 1949 to 1953, and 1953 to 1959. - Carrie Tollefson (Dawson, MN)
Middle Distance Runner; 2004 US Summer Olympic team making it to the semis in the 1500 meters. She was ranked #1 nationally by Track and Field News in 2004. In 2006, she was the 3000m USA Indoor Champion, and the USA Cross Country Champion (4k).