Former Cook County resident Drew Holmen heading to Trail Running World Championships in Austria

Drew Holmen, a 2010 graduate from Cook County High School in Grand Marais, is one of the top trail runners in the United States.

Holmen, 30, now lives and trains in Boulder, Colo. He recently won the Lake Sonoma 50 Mile race in California. The victory qualified him to represent the USA during the World Mountain & Trail Running Championships June 9 in Innsbruck, Austria.

Holmen was on the cross country running team at ISD 166 when he was in high school. He told WTIP that he ran primarily to get in shape for hockey and baseball, his favorite sports at the time. These days, he is running for his country in the world championships. He is also on Nike’s Trail Running Team.

Holmen still has many connections to Cook County and the North Shore, including the fact his parents, Jim Holmen and Rita Plourde, still reside in the community.

WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs recently spoke with Holmen about the status of being among the top trail and distance runners in the nation, and why Cook County is still among his favorite places to run. Audio below.

Joe Friedrichs April 21, 2023