Minnesota Runner Begins 500 Mile 'E85 Run For Clean Air' in Fargo

Ethanol Fuel Sold For 85 cents a Gallon

ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 5 -- On the morning of September 13, 2003, Tom Andrews, a 49-year-old amateur ultramarathon runner from Richfield, Minnesota, will set off on the longest run of his career -- a 500-mile route that will start at approximately 9:00 a.m. at the Cenex Petro Express gas station at 3902 Main Avenue in Fargo, North Dakota, and end at the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Andrew's run, dubbed the E85 Run for Clean Air, is intended to draw attention to E85, a cleaner-burning blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline that can be used by more than three million "flexible fuel vehicles" already on the road today. The two-week run is sponsored in part by the North Dakota Corn Utilization Council and includes a September 15 stop in the Wahpeton-Breckenridge area, where E85 fuel will be sold at the Breck Amoco station (204 5th St. South, Breckenridge) for the special one-day price of 85 cents per gallon.

The public is invited to cheer on Andrews as he begins his epic journey across Minnesota for cleaner air. From 9 - 11 a.m., those attending the E85 grand opening at the Cenex Petro Express station in Fargo can sign up for a chance to win a new flexible fuel vehicle during the November 15 football game between North Dakota State University and Concordia. The Fargo station will also sell E85 for 85 cents on September 13.

On September 27, the day Andrews is scheduled to complete his run in Saint Paul, General Motors and the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition will announce its "I Fuel Good" campaign to promote use of E85 fuel in Minnesota and five other midwestern states. While flexible fuel vehicles are a fairly common sight on American roads (there are currently 20 models manufactured by GM, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Mercedes & others) E85 fuel sites can be harder to find. In addition to the new E85 pump in downtown Fargo, the ethanol-based fuel is sold in StaMart stations in Bismarck and Grand Forks. Other E85 Run for Clean Air sponsors include the American Lung Association of Minnesota, Minnesota Corn Growers, National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, Minnesota Coalition for Ethanol and the U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities program.

For information on how to determine if your vehicle can use E85 fuel, a complete list of all flexible fuel vehicles currently available and a links to locate E85 stations nationwide, visit www.CleanAirChoice.org or call (800)-LUNG-USA.