I am reviewing as a spectator and mother of a finisher. It's always been on my list to go up to watch this marathon and in 2022 my daughter decided to run so off we were to cheer her on. The marathon is on a beautiful course along the water. The day was absolutely perfect for running, around 50 degrees and sunny most of the race. As a spectator, you need a plan that allow you to travel, park, get to a spot, cheer, get back to your car, and time the next spot your runner will be...rinse and repeat as many times as you can over 26 miles. Grandma's is a bit more challenging to do that (as compared to Twin Cities) because there are only so many arteries to the race route. There are cars all over and lots of people moving at the same time. Closed roads and construction didn't make it easier. We were able to see our runner about 6 times on the course. She was easy to find after the race. It was all well organized with race packet easy to pickup. Allow plenty of time for parking as there are tons of people and cars to work around. Great experience. read more

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Grandma's Marathon was great! It is a beautiful course and there are supporters along most of the way! It is super exciting to run into Duluth - the last 4 miles or so are packed with people cheering the runners on. The festivities continue after the race! There is live music all night and other special events and vendors around Canal Park. Wonderful weekend, great race!!! If you're debating whether or not to sign up next year, this is your sign to do it! read more

Grandma's Marathon - Starting line - Races & Competitions Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Just completed the 2014 Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN. This was lifetime #71 and state #48 on my bid to knock off marathons in all 50 states. Just two more to go to close out this maiden voyage, before deciding to go on a 2nd tour or not. I was told that the course for the marathon was flat and fast, but it had its share of hills and small climbs that were strategically placed and that made it certainly interesting for me. Thankfully that the weather did cooperate fully with me, just so that no mishaps would have occurred to spoil anything. There was fog this year, for a good 3/4 of the course, which was pretty cool. There was good weather in Duluth, MN in June, but this was really ideal. Forecast was 68/53 and rainy, but it didn't rain on us at all, which was nice. Just the fog and the windchill made everything comfortable for us runners. The Grandma's marathon is a point to point race, 26.2 miles from Two Harbors to downtown Duluth. The course was mainly residential for 3/4 of the race, before looping into the city limits of Duluth. The last couple of miles were on Superior Street, which was felt like a shopping Mecca in Duluth before heading down towards the convention center and looping around that before ending up at the finish line on Canal Park. There was 3 timing splits on the course, 10K, 13.1, and mile 20. There was approximately slightly under 7,000 runners doing the full marathon, with all 50 states represented. There was another Hawaii person there with me this year doing the full distance, which was great. The Grandma's marathon also has a half marathon called the Garry Bjorklund half marathon, named after Garry Bjorklund, 1976 Olympian and 1977 & 1980 Grandma's marathon champion, whom is a Duluth area native. The Grandma's marathon expo was large enough, but small enough to make it intimate. The parking at the convention center was horrible, but luckily we got a spot and were in and out within 45 minutes. Parking for both the expo and race morning at the convention center was $5/day, which was reasonable. Race day parking was decent, where we were directed to the dirt parking lot, instead of the parking garage. Probably best, since I don't have a good sense of direction after a race. There was not much swag though. We got a finisher's shirt at the finish line area, versus a generic race shirt at the expo. There was a handful of vendors here, but not much of anything. There was a shoe blow out sale going on, but I didn't need any shoes at the time. They didn't have any hoka's anyway. There was shuttle buses to the start of the race from the Duluth convention center, so that was cool. There were a lot of runners for the full and there was a few ways of getting to the start line, which were school buses and rented Duluth Transit Authority buses. There was the train as well, but I didn't take that, which should have. It would have been an interesting way to a start of any marathon. Wonderful and enthusiastic volunteers to cheer you along the way, especially two volunteers who followed me every 3 miles to high five me and encourage me to the finish line. You Rock!! Thanks also to the dude in uniform at mile 26, whom encouraged me to finish strong. I thanked him for his service as we parted ways. That was an awesome experience! The finish line area was crowded with people. After receiving my finisher medal, there was not much good food left, but there was the finisher shirt to be picked up and a free beer too! After soaking up the excitement of another marathon in the books, it was time to go back to the hotel and relax. Hard earned for sure! The aid stations were good and substantial. While the ideal conditions made it desirable, never can drink too little. Thankful to be apart of such a nice race. If you have an itch to run a marathon in June, the Grandma's marathon is the one to do. For the first timers I met along the course, to the veterans like me who just love racing as being outdoors, there's a fit for just about anyone and all athletic levels. Definitely recommended, although we couldn't see much views of Lake Superior though. Just as well, as we all were running a marathon and not just sightseeing. Run more! Support local! A+ read more

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While I've only done two marathons I've done several halves. And I have to say this is easily the most well organized, best run event I've ever had the pleasure of participating in. First of all - the registration. Very simple, very straight forward. They do a lottery for the half and an open registration (up to 10,000 people) for the full. And compared to several over events (the RnR ones come to mind), this one is rather affordable. The expo is held in the DECC. Plenty of space to spread out. They also hold a huge pasta dinner there. (I didn't partake in the pasta dinner as I'm picky about my food pre-race). They had a side room with speakers throughout the day of the expo, including Deena Kastor, who I was beyond thrilled to meet. The expo itself was a bit smaller than I was expecting, but I was still able to get the last minute race needs and tchotchkes - again all at a reasonable price (again, are you listening RnR?) My wife and I stayed at UMD as getting a hotel is near impossible. The shuttle system to the event was near flawless. They kept everything moving and everything was very clearly marked. The start area for the full was at a car dealership which gave the runners plenty of space to spread out. There was also more portapotties per runner than I think I've ever seen before. The gear check was also very simple and well organized. I am going to ding them on the starting corral. They didn't divide up the runners or have a wave start. As a result, we were all crammed into a pretty tight area to start and were shoulder to shoulder for about the first 7 miles. They could break things up just a bit and give us a bit more room. The course is absolutely gorgeous. Well, normally it is. This year (2013) was foggy so we didn't get to see much of the water. But it was rather cool watching all the runners ahead of me sort of disappear into a mist. Some people have noted that there isn't much fan support until you reach Duluth. While that is true for the most part, there are pockets of fans every so often, and those fans are very vocal. So while you won't have a lot of people cheering you on, the people that are cheering are very into the event. The mile markers are huge balloons, which made it very easy to see from a good distance away. In addition, the water stations were pretty much exactly where the organizers said they'd be - every two miles starting at mile three, and then every mile after mile 19. They were also very well staffed Fantastic. They didn't have clocks every mile, but really - what runner doesn't have a watch of some variety with them? I ran with the 4 hour pace group, and the pacer (Darin?) was amazing. Very friendly, very helpful, very positive and his splits were spot on the entire way. The finishing area is well laid out and well marked. I also loved the fact that they don't give you your shirt until you finish - it's supposed to be a finisher's shirt after all! And again - the shuttle system back to UMD was well done. In all - I can't recommend this event highly enough. It's a wonderful event and one that I will likely do again. As for my race, well - I was on pace for 4 hours until I fell apart at mile 23. I did manage to hang on for a 4:07, which is a new PB for me. read more

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I ran this marathon two Saturday mornings ago as my 60th something marathon race in 3:33:xx. Due to another marathon cancelling two weeks prior, I booked this marathon last minute and incurred the steep price of $155. It also meant that there were no hotel rooms in Duluth or even the surrounding area and I ended up 80 minutes away. I say this not as a knock on the marathon (neither of these are their fault) but more as a note to book early if you want to run this race. The packet pickup that I went to was on Friday and I made it there around 3 PM. Traffic was already pretty bad and I chose a lot at the depot instead of the DECC as recommended by the official guide. It seemed to be the right choice as my in and out was fairly quick while I watched others wait for very long periods of time to park. Once inside I can't say that I was terribly thrilled with the expo. It was crowded and tough to move at more than a meandering pace. That actually led me to not really check out many of the vendors other than the official race store which was impressive. On race morning I made sure to arrive in Duluth at around 4:30 AM knowing that parking would be a problem. I did finally make it to the DECC lot right around 5 AM which allowed me to be one of the first on the train to the start. Yes you read that right, a real live train. It was quite cool and I enjoyed everything about that experience except for the bathrooms on the train. They were highly touted by everything I had read. However, they didn't have the water on and I can't unsee the horrors I saw in the men's room or unhear what I heard about the women's. At least the views outside were great and it got us to the nice and large starting area. The race this year started at 7:45 AM in fog with a temperature around 50F. I throughly enjoyed it and was glad that it stayed that way pretty much throughout the race. It meant you didn't get the good views of Lake Superior but also meant our sight distance was about 1/4 mile and we couldn't see the next hill. The course itself goes from Two Harbors down Lake Superior and into Duluth. It was a little more rolling than I expected it to be but wasn't anything that I couldn't handle. Crowd support started out somewhat sparse near the start except at intersections since it was nearly impossible to get to other places. Near Duluth there was a lot more of it and I really enjoyed that support. As a matter of a fact I finished the last 10k of the run at a pace about 20-45 seconds quicker than the first 20 miles which I partly attribute to the crowd. Once you crossed the line you were given a medal and allowed to enjoy the festivities. Since I had a plane to catch I didn't do that. Getting back to the DECC was a nightmare too as it crossed a drawbridge (open for a few minutes of course) followed by a walk down a narrow area where there were spectators and people walking both ways whenever only two would fit. Last but certainly not least it doubled back across the marathon course and we were told to run across it which a few hobbled marathoners who had already completed were incredulous about. The bottom line for me is that I would recommend this course to anyone looking for a beautiful marathon with crowd support. It could very well be a PR worthy course if the weather was like it was today with its net down hills. Be forewarned though, there's lots of traffic and waiting throughout your whole visit to Duluth which was the only thing I really didn't like. read more

Very well supported race. Course is flat as a pancake. Not a single turn on the course until you hit the city. The ride out to the start on the buses is pretty intimidating because you realize how far you have to run to get back. Not much crowd participation outside of the city (except for a few designated spots), but once you get into the city, the locals really get into the race. The last 6 or so miles are a lot of fun! Energetic festival at the end of the race. High quality short sleeve tech shirt is given out at the finish along with a well designed medal. Pre-race meal is very well done and well worth the cost of admission. Stayed at the Sheraton in Duluth which is a convenient short walk from the finish line (and the buses to the starting line). Note: My comments are based on running in 2013. read more

My sister and father have run the half-marathon a couple of times, so I've been right in the action for Grandma's Marathon many times. I love how packed Canal Park gets! Tons of people, but it really isn't that bad.. Everyone is out to have a good time, or wait for someone they know to cross the finish line.. It has some weird aura about the place, but it's cool. This year, my roommate and his girlfriend, and my sister will be doing the half. I probably will be up watching! Not being from Duluth, I love how everything is packed tight with people, if you are traveling in for this weekend, or happen to be here at the same time, book your hotel reservations... oh probably 6 months in advance... all the rooms in Duluth will be booked, if you are looking for parking close to the finish line...DON'T... you won't find any.. but if you are looking to go have fun down by the waterfront, and enjoy the people watching...Go have a great day! Oh I'm excited already! read more

Was great meal and price was good especially since it will feed me twice. I had the wild rice grandmas meatloaf with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The meatloaf was excellent and there were three slices not to thick or to thin. Sautéed vegetables were awesome. The mashed potatoes were great and homemade not a mix. The gravy was yummy. I accidentally sipped my friends raspberry iced tea and it was good should of had one. Ate there a few years ago and still just as good today. Service was excellent and polite. I would recommend it to anyone. I was too full to try a dessert and I wanted a shake but controlled myself. I will be glad to go there again. read more

well organized, beautiful views, course was fairly easy, perfect weather, highly recommend!

I am so torn on this race: But let's do the good first. This marathon is AMAZING. I am in love with the course. If you are looking to PR, this is your place to go. I, being severely under-trained, did not PR, but I ripped out a time I didn't think I was capable of having only race 16 miles a good month and a half before the race. The course is BEAUTIFUL. Riding the coast of Lake Superior the entire way and through wooded pines, gorgeous lakeside homes and just beautiful greenery and blue skies is incredible. It actually reminded me a lot of Big Sur Marathon. Granted it was pretty cloudy and foggy during this year's race, it was still gorgeous every step of the 26.2. The aid stations were plentiful, super well stocked and exceedingly well-staffed. I never waited for anything and everyone was just so dang happy! Other small things I loved: bright Mile markers that were visible even from a distance, tons of awesome communication leading up to the race, plenty of port-o-potties the entire way including at the start, an awesome finish line party in a downtown area that is SWAMPED with little bars and pubs. How stinkin' cute is Duluth? When the time comes for me to gun for a PR or a BQ, I will run Grandma's again. Now, this is why I freaking hate Grandma's Marathon: Well, no, I think my beef is with the City of Duluth. Rumor has it that this race used to sell out year after year (and the half still does), but the City of Duluth has shot itself in the foot. The problem is lodging. We came up with the idea to run Grandma's back in April... so fairly last minute, but not really. We almost scrapped the idea because we couldn't find anywhere to stay! The problem isn't that places were booked. There were plenty of places with openings, but even the Super 8 was charging close to $200. The Holiday Inn was closer to $300.. and not only are charging up the wazoo, they are slapping 3 or 4 night minimums! Sorry, not sorry, but I'm not staying in Duluth for 4 days. I want to come, run, drink beer and then peace out 8am Sunday morning. Even the local colleges open up their dorms for the weekend... $120 WITH A TWO NIGHT MINIMUM! Seriously??? For a dorm room with no A/C, no TV and shared public bathrooms. I like to travel to races for fun, and that is not fun. Now, you can argue supply and demand, but these places aren't even sold out. And the race isn't sold out. We ended up staying in Moose Lake which is about 45 minutes away at a lil po'dunky AmericInn. We drove in the morning of and parking and traffic was such a cluster. As if the $300 hotel rooms are not enough, they are charging all the runners $5 to park. So we are backed up on the highway for about 40 minutes while they have all the cars one by one individually stopping at a stop sign (seriously? No one directing traffic??) and then meandering their way up to pay one by one for parking. Seriously, Grandma's?? Just pay the DECC for free parking for runners and increase the race fees by a couple bucks to avoid this nightmare. And get a cop to direct traffic. After we parked, we ended up taking a train to the start which was actually pretty neat.. but seriously. The logistics of this race were just a nightmare, the actual race and course ended up making up for the headache, but barely! Be prepared and show up HELLA early (We left Moose Lake at 4:15 to try and catch the 5:20 marathon buses and because of the traffic backup it wasn't until like 5:30 that we got on the train). So, what did we do after the race? We left. I wish we could have stayed in Duluth to check out the adorable downtown and the dozens of pubs we ran past, but well, we didn't have a room. So we left and stayed in Minneapolis. With the exception of the DECC parking, it is nice to know we didn't give Duluth any money. Course: A+ Medal: A. Simple and not gaudy like a lot of races are getting T-Shirt: C (Out of Men's sizes at the finish), but women's are cute Race Management: C (F for logistics, A+ for communication and mailing race packets so we can avoid packet pick-up) read more

I have run a lot of marathons, 30 at last count, and Grandma's is definitely a first-class event. Everything was very well organized, and I loved the scenic course and the volunteers cheering for everyone, especially in the second half of the race, were awesome! Even with some rolling hills, the course is pretty fast, so as long as the weather is good, it's a good course to try for a personal record or Boston Qualifier. The flower after I crossed the finish line was a nice surprise! read more

I had the time of my life...registering for Grandma's Marathon, last summer (you get a discount). Arrived for the 2014 race after a headache of travelling from Toronto and experiencing the type of delays common in the winter. Got to the race expo and I was more in the mood to get my race bib and leave, which was what I did. Then came the morning of the race, which was freezing, even by my standards (not the marathons fault). Many runners seemed ok but a lot seemed overcome by the cool temperatures and weren't dressed (despite late June, this feels like a fall marathon this year). I was fine, but I couldn't believe how many people I saw running without shirts or even without shoes. The volunteers and crowds are top notch, as are the medical staff, military personnel and just about everyone else I came into contact with. They were great and wanted to make sure I was doing well (I ended up walking the second half). Other runners are friendly and I felt like this is a place I want to come back to. Other marathons I've done are so badly organized with the full and half starting at the same place, or having a full, half, 10k, 5k all on the same day (and then giving everyone the same medal and shirt, whether you did the full marathon or 5k!). Grandma's gives great medals and you get your shirt at the finish line rather than the generic one at the expo. See everyone in 2015! read more

Great race. The only thing they need more of is bathrooms and to allow family in at the ending space.

I love going to Duluth for Grandma's marathon weekend. While I am not a runner, some of my family is, so I've tagged along the last few years and have had a blast. I always worried that everything, would be so packed, you wouldn't be able to get around, get into a restaurant, etc. but it's really not bad if you are smart about it. The biggest issue is finding a hotel room at a reasonable rate, or at all for that matter. Always book 8 months to a year out if possible. The only thing I am not fond of, nor are the people I know who run, is the method they go about choosing who gets to run the half marathon. The lottery thing isn't fair, and it should be first come, first served. My hubby was heartbroken last year when we didn't get to run. Out of the 10 or so people I knew who entered to run, only one got picked out of this magical process. That would be my only complaint. Everything is is run very smoothly, and there are many fun festivities for all ages to partake in all weekend long! read more

Grandma's Marathon - Races & Competitions Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

this was lucky marathon #3 for us. I enjoyed the cooler temps and it did clear up later in the day, a few hours after we finished. I actually really enjoyed the very light crowds the first 19 miles - it gave me a chance to really be aware of my form, breathing and to enjoy my race. but at every water stop (every odd mile) the crowds were great and provided that boost of energy to keep going! The volunteers were definitely some of the best I've ever seen! The finish line was a little hectic, but no more than other large races. The beer tent after was a nice treat, I loved reuniting with my other runners and swamping stories. I'll be back to Grandma's for sure. read more