As the U.S. prepares for the Nov. 4 election day, Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz made a brief stop in his hometown of Saint Paul, Minn. Walz was there to support the 6,700 runners competing in the 2024 Twin Cities Marathon, offering high-fives and words of encouragement at the 21-mile mark along the scenic Mississippi River.
However, the star of the event was Larry Hosch from St. Joseph, Minn., who ran the marathon dressed as none other than Walz himself. Sporting a cardboard cutout of Walz’s face, blue jeans and a flannel shirt, Hosch completed the race in five hours, nine minutes and 27 seconds.
Congrats to all the runners at today’s Twin Cities Marathon. Loved cheering everyone on! pic.twitter.com/5ac7m77M0A
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) October 6, 2024
At 46, Hosch is more than just a marathoner; he’s a former Democratic politician with deep roots in Minnesota. He became mayor of his hometown at the age of 22 and now works as a development director in the Minnesota-St. Cloud region. Hosch has an impressive athletic background as well (for a politician), finishing in the top 10 of his age group at the 2024 Fargo Half-Marathon, with a time of 1:32:13. He also represented Team USA at the 2015 World Triathlon Age-Group Championships in Chicago.
While Minnesotans have long admired Walz, who currently serves as governor, running a marathon while dressed as a political figure takes fandom to another level. Hosch and Walz do go way back, having previously worked together in the Minnesota state House of Representatives. In addition to his time in the House, Hosch also served as mayor of St. Joseph, located an hour from Minneapolis.
The Twin Cities are no stranger to speedy politicians. The city’s mayor, Jacob Frey, is a former professional runner with Saucony. Frey placed fourth in the men’s marathon at the 2007 Pan-American Games with a personal best of 2:16:44, and even attempted to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team for Beijing 2008. In 2022, Frey ran his first Twin Cities Marathon as mayor, finishing in just under three hours with minimal training, according to Vogue.
