Snow, sleet or rain, these runners are out and about. Around the lake, through town and in all conditions, they push themselves to work harder and to run faster. These Albert Lea runners shared their favorite routes. — Tiffany Krupke

 

Jessica Bakken

Bakken has been a runner for a few years. She enjoys running on the trail along Fountain Lake. She starts from her home on East Richway Drive and runs about a half mile to the trail around the lake. She runs on her breaks from work. If she wants to run longer, she also runs at Bancroft Bay Park.

 

Steve Rothmeier

Rothmeier has been running since 2011. From his home on High Street, he runs along Fountain Lake  around to Mayo Clinic Health System. When he is in training, he runs from his house to the Blazing Star Trail, to Myre-Big Island State Park and back to his home. He stops to refuel and then runs around Fountain Lake.

 

Steve Merfeld

Merfeld has been running for about 30 years. He often runs at noon from the Albert Lea Family Y with his friend, Dennis Deiser. He goes west on Main Street. From there, he heads north on Lake Chapeau Drive to the City Arena. He takes a few residential streets, depending on his mood, then runs back to the Y.

 

Dennis Dieser

Dieser, a runner since 1987, got started because of Merfeld and a few others. When he isn’t running with friends, he takes a few different routes. He enjoys running from Mayo Clinic Health System and around Fountain Lake. He is training for the Med City Marathon in Rochester on May 25. In February, he qualified to run in the 2014 Boston Marathon.