Grandma's Marathon

Grandma's Marathon (Grandma's) is an annual road race held each June in Duluth, Minnesota, in the United States. The course runs point-to-point from the city of Two Harbors on Scenic Route 61 and continues along Lake Superior into the city of Duluth. The finish is located in Canal Park, near Grandma's Restaurant, which is next to the highly visible Aerial Lift Bridge.

With over 7,000 finishers, it is one of the ten largest marathons in the United States.

Race history

Scott Keenan, a member of the North Shore Striders running group, had the idea to start a marathon from Two Harbors to Duluth but was turned down by local banks and businesses in 1976. The newly opened Grandma's Restaurant was the only local business that would sponsor the then-fledgling event, providing $600 out of a race budget between $600 and $1200. The registration fee for the first running of the event was $3, with a $4 late registration fee. In 1986, Grandma's Saloon and Deli announced it could no longer afford to provide Grandma's Marathon the budget it deserved. It contributed $55,000, but the race had an estimated budget of $250,000 that year.

Grandma's was first run in 1977 with only 160 participants, ten of whom were women. The race initially started at the split between Scenic Highway 61 and the Highway 61 expressway in Two Harbors. A red truck driven by Gordy Nichols led the runners along the race course.

The first race was won by Minnesotan and 1976 Olympic 10000m runner Garry Bjorklund and Wendy Hovland. Bjorklund wore leather shoes for most of the race which proved to be slippery, changing them into a pair with "more bounce" in front of a supper club called London House in Duluth. The first running of Grandma's Marathon had a four hour time-cutoff, however multiple runners finished after this mark. The last place finisher in 1977 was Dr. Leonard Linnell, who finished in 6 hours and 5 minutes.

Aid stations in the 1977 through 1980 races offered water and a sports drink called ERG, which stood for electrolyte replacement with glucose. Aid stations since at least 2016 have provided water and Powerade.

Grandma's Marathon is now run by almost 20,000 participants every year, has nearly a $2 million operating budget and is credited with increasing tourism within the city of Duluth. The race is a major event on the North Shore, filling hotels in many cities around Duluth. Thousands of runners and visitors fill the marathon, half and 5 km races. As of 2016, VisitDuluth estimated 65,000 people visit Duluth for Grandma's and spend a total of $10 million. After high numbers in the 1990s and 2000s, 2009 was the first time in 15 years that all of the 9,500 available spots were not filled, leading to a deficit in the race budget. Executive director Scott Keenan suggested that the economy was the main reason for the downturn in participants. Lifetime entries were offered in 1987 (for $100) and again in 1990 (for $125) to help increase the number of runners entering the race.

The men's record for Grandma's is 2:09:06, set in 2014 by Dominic Ondoro of Kenya. The previous record of 2:09:37, set in 1981 by Wayzata, Minnesota-native Dick Beardsley stood for 33 years before being broken.

The women's record time is 2:23:52, set in 2024 by Volha Mazuronak.

The US Army 477th Medical Company provided first aid assistance for Grandma's Marathon since 1980.

In 1986, an eight year old named Erin Seitz was volunteering at an aid station at Grandma's Marathon and was injured when a van struck her. She broke two bones in the incident.

In 2001, Grandma's Marathon first used ChampionChip timing devices. The devices were attached to runners' shoes and were collected at the end of the race. Previously, finishers had to line up in narrow chutes at the finish so race officials could detach a section of each runner's bib containing a bar code, where they would be stuck onto a spindle, and later entered into a computer.

In 2005, Halina Karnatsevich was the first finisher with a time of 2:33:39 but she was later disqualified for failing her post-race doping test.

In 2007, Grandma's Marathon race officials seized portable media players at the start of the race and mailed them back to their owners to comply with USATF rules banning the use of headphones. About 30 runners who ignored the ban were disqualified that year.

The 35th edition of the marathon in 2011 had its first photo-finish: eventual winner Christopher Kipyego mistook the electronic timing mat for the finish point and prematurely stopped, leading to an impromptu sprint finish against Teklu Deneke. Just two tenths of a second ended up separating the pair.

The 37th running of the race in 2013 saw the first time that more people registered for the Bjorklund Half Marathon than Grandma's Marathon. There were 7,835 registered for the Bjorklund Half Marathon but only 7,338 people registered for Grandma's Marathon.

Grandma's Marathon was part of the Great Lakes Marathon Series, a circuit of 25 marathon races near the Great Lakes, from 2013 until 2019.

The 40th annual race in 2016 set a record for the largest number of finishers at 7,423. 2016 also saw a record number of female finishers at 3,742, just short of the men's total at 3,780.

In 2020, Grandma's Marathon added a woman to its official logo in a move organizers said was "long over-due."

The race was run every year for 44 years until the COVID-19 pandemic. Race officials monitored the spread of COVID-19 in the state, and as the count of infected grew in St. Louis County, concerns mounted. On March 25, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced a "stay at home" executive order for all citizens of the state. Three days into the "stay at home" order, Grandma's Marathon officials announced that, for the first time, the marathon, the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon and the William A. Irvin 5K would be canceled. No refunds or deferments were granted, but officials offered those who had already signed up a 40 percent discount on the 2021 or 2022 race.

In 2023, Grandma's Marathon announced the Running to Common Ground program which offers 500 discounted entries to underrepresented communities and cultures. This built upon the introduction of a non-binary division starting in 2022.

The 48th annual race in 2024 set a new event record for the largest number of finishers at 7,536. With 3,126 female finishers, 2024 did not surpass the 2016 record number of female finishers at 3,742.

The Grandma's Marathon course has several iconic landmarks, including:
* Lemon Drop Hill at the mark
* Troll Mile at approximately
* Historic Fitger's Brewing Company at approximately
* SS William A. Irvin at about

Race weekend

What started in 1977 as a single race has grown to a weekend of running events hosted by the Grandma's Marathon organization.

Thursday starts the health expo at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. Races begin Friday, kicked off with Whipper Snapper races for kids at Bayfront Festival Park, followed by the William A. Irvin 5K, which was first run in 1994. The race is named after the Great Lakes ore boat docked in the slip at the canal; the course starts at the stern, circles the canal area and finishes at the bow. Nearly 2,000 runners participate.

Early Saturday morning, the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, kicks off, sending more than 7,000 runners south on Scenic Route 61 to Duluth. The half marathon was first run in 1991 and has since eclipsed the marathon in participation by a few hundred runners. The race starts near the Talmadge River.

The half marathon begins at 6:00 am. The full marathon begins at 7:40 am for men's elite and sub-elite, followed by women's elite, sub-elite and citizens at 7:45.

Throughout the rest of the year, the Grandma's Marathon organization runs other races, such as the Fitger's 5k, the Park Point 5 Miler, and the Grandma's Minnesota Mile. Grandma’s Marathon was the 10th largest marathon in the United States in 2023

Past winners

Key:

''*'' ''After canceling the race, a "virtual race" was held.''

Multiple winners, men

;6 wins
* Elisha Barno: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024

;2 wins
* Garry Bjorklund: 1977, 1980
* Dick Beardsley: 1981, 1982
* Doug Kurtis: 1989, 1993
* Patrick Muturi: 1996, 1997
* Dominic Ondoro: 2014, 2022

Multiple winners, women

;3 wins
* Lorraine Moller: 1979, 1980, 1981
* Mary Akor: 2007, 2008, 2009

;2 wins
* Janice Ettle: 1982, 1991
* Jane Welzel: 1990, 1992
* Irina Bogachova: 1995, 1997
* Firiya Sultanova: 2003, 2004
* Sarah Kiptoo: 2013, 2016
* Dakotah Lindwurm: 2021, 2022

Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon past winners

Key:

''*'' ''After canceling the race, a "virtual race" was held.''

Multiple winners, men

;6 wins
* Ryan Meissen: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005

;3 wins
* Dan Carlson: 1992, 1993, 1994

;2 wins
* Thomas Plechter: 1991, 1995
* Sean Mulheron: 1997, 1998
* Panuel Mkungo: 2018, 2019

Multiple winners, women

;3 wins
* Kelly Keeler: 1998, 2000, 2001
* Debra Gormley: 1996, 1997, 2002

;2 wins
* Sean Mulheron: 1997, 1998
* Panuel Mkungo: 2018, 2019

See also

* Twin Cities Marathon
* Minneapolis Marathon
* Mankato Marathon
* Med City Marathon

References

*Jack Moran & Malcolm Heyworth (2010-06-20)
Grandma's Marathon
Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2011-06-19.

External links

Official site

{{Footer Grandma's Marathon Champions

Recurring sporting events established in 1977
Marathons in the United States
Foot races in Minnesota
Marathons in Minnesota
Minnesota culture
Sports in Duluth, Minnesota
Tourist attractions in Lake County, Minnesota
Tourist attractions in St. Louis County, Minnesota