Since its inaugural race in 1977, Grandma’s Marathon has grown into one of the largest and most popular marathons in the United States. Now much bigger than just a 26.2-mile road race, Grandma’s Marathon is now a “can’t miss” weekend that brings together runners of all calibers and from all over the world for a yearly celebration of the human spirit.
Named the state’s best annual sporting event by “Minnesota’s Best” voters, Grandma’s Marathon has become the unofficial “kickoff to summer” event in the region. With rolling hills and a net downhill elevation, our racecourse starts north of Duluth, MN near Two Harbors and runs along Scenic Highway 61, hugging the shores of Lake Superior before taking participants through the heart of downtown Duluth and finishing in historic Canal Park.
The point-to-point course even offers runners a tailwind most years, making it the perfect place for a marathon rookie or a veteran trying for a PR or Boston Marathon qualifying time. Not only that, but one of the nation’s largest expos as well as a traditional pre-race spaghetti feed and great post-race entertainment make for a weekend experience that is the total package for our participants.
Since its start in 1991, the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon has grown into one of the most popular and largest half marathons in the United States. Named a “Runners Choice” event by RaceRaves, the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon was voted in 2019 the best 13.1-mile race in the state of Minnesota. The racecourse starts north of Duluth, MN and runs along Scenic Highway 61, finishing in historic Canal Park.
The William A. Irvin 5K started in 1994 and has now become the popular kickoff event to an exciting lineup of races and festivities on Grandma’s Marathon weekend in Duluth, MN.
A perfect race for people of all ages and abilities, the 3.1-mile course was named after the William A. Irvin ore boat located next to the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC). The course will take you on a tour of Canal Park past some of Duluth’s most iconic landmarks, including Bayfront Festival Park, Sister Cities Park, Gichi-ode Akiing Park, the Lake Superior Maritime Museum, the Aerial Lift Bridge, and the William A. Irvin ore boat museum.
Grandma’s Marathon weekend is a time the word “impossible” ceases to exist and when more than 20,000 people become your biggest supporters and best running buddies. So get ready to once again tie up your laces for another year of memories, miles, and human might.
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Awesome race
What a cool little town along Lake Superior! Loved the race. Ice at every side station prevented me from overheating worse than I did. Really enjoyed running along Lake Superior. MORE
What a cool little town along Lake Superior! Loved the race. Ice at every side station prevented me from overheating worse than I did. Really enjoyed running along Lake Superior.
Big race with a small town vibe
Growing up in MN, I'm honestly surprised I hadn't raced Grandma's weekend. Since I ran the Milwaukee full in April, I decided to do the GB Half and was pleasantly … MORE
Growing up in MN, I’m honestly surprised I hadn’t raced Grandma’s weekend. Since I ran the Milwaukee full in April, I decided to do the GB Half and was pleasantly surprised. The bib pickup was seamless and I was also able to enjoy an unlimited pasta lunch for $20. The venue was more than I expected and significantly better than TCM – lots of gels, running clothes, booths, and random vendors handing out free stuff.
The race itself was honestly a bit tougher than expected and you never have a truly flat road until the last mile. Steady headwind for the first 7 miles off the lake, luckily, the sun was to my back. Rolling, steady hills thru the first 8 miles and then the only big road with Lemon Drop before a steady downhill into town. The t-shirt was very cool but I was missing the free socks that they apparently gave out in the past. Overall, happy with the PR but I’d have more in me on a fall/winter HM.
A Superior Half Marathon
This race has been on my radar as a "must run" for Minnesota but logistics prevented me from doing this race my first round of states. Since Minnesota is an … MORE
This race has been on my radar as a “must run” for Minnesota but logistics prevented me from doing this race my first round of states. Since Minnesota is an easy state to get to, I wanted to do a half my first round I didn’t have to take any days off for. However as this race is on a Saturday in Duluth (about 2.5 hours from Minneapolis) there was no way I could get there Friday after work. However I realized this year Friday was a Holiday and this race also happened to be the day before the Manitoba Half Marathon which was only a 6.5 hour drive away and one of my two remaining provinces, so it was the perfect year for this race. It also happened to be the 50th anniversary for the Full Marathon so it was a huge celebration. First and foremost the complicated logistics. You need to sign up for this race the second it opens. It sold out right away. I was lucky and got a spot. There is a facebook group for people looking to buy and transfer bibs if you do not look out. The other big issue is lodging. Duluth is a small city for this many runners. I tried to plan to book a hotel the second they opened but was a few days late and the only room I could find was in a motel not my standard quality or IHG so no points. However I lucked out and search my IHG app the week before the race and snagged a room at the Holiday Inn Express in Superior, Wisconsin about 10 minutes from Duluth. It was a really nice hotel and there were special gifts and early breakfast for runners. Would recommend this hotel if you can find a room. It was expensive but less expensive than downtown Duluth. For the race I flew into Minneapolis Friday morning and drove to Duluth. There is a small airport in Duluth but it was more expensive with no direct flights from Boston. There was good pre race communication and everything was very clear. I went to the expo Friday evening. I appreciate the expo has late hours as I was able to do a lot during the day Friday. The expo was pretty good and bib pick up was efficient. You don’t get your shirt until you finish. Race morning there are various race shuttles. I took the one from UW Superior. My mom joined me on the trip and just dropped me off as the shuttles would bring you back to your hotel post race. The shuttles were there right away. Probably the only production issue as several people have mentioned is the start area was a bit of a mess with the corrals separated with separate porta potties but the lines were chaotic and it was unclear what was a line and what was just people waiting. I hung out with some friends and we made no progress in what seemed like a line but then right before the race was about to start we saw some next to the start with no lines. It wasn’t bad enough to ruin the race but it could have been more organized but I get it is a tight space for a lot of runners. I was in the last corral which started on time at 6:20. The half starts early so most runners are done and out of the way for the marathoners. It was an early morning but also meant I wouldn’t get to Winnipeg too late after. The course is quite nice. The first few miles are along Lake Superior. They are very scenic and pretty but a bit more laid back with less spectators (though still some). Then you start to get closer to town and go to some neighborhoods and especially past UM Duluth where there are a ton of spectators and it becomes a party atmosphere. I liked the quieter start and louder finish so you could find your pace with less distraction but then had the spectators energy to get you through the later miles. Lots of fun race signs and even an animal shelter brought puppies to pet. The course is pretty flat with one significant hill between miles 8-9. It isn’t completely flat but the one hill was the only time I had to break my run-walk intervals. Weather was pretty good race day especially for the summer though still a bit hotter than my ideal temp. Production was very good. There are the iconic balloon mile markers with lots of aid stations and one had maple syrup and two had fruit. It was a super easy point to point course to follow. My time was pretty good. I feel like I could have been a bit faster but I lost some time on the hill and had to take a bathroom break at mile 12 (still having some post Madagascar GI issues). I also realized this weekend was a great opportunity for back to back sub 3 hour half marathons given both courses were flat and the weather was good. The time limit for the race is stated at 3 hours but it is just because they want you to finish before the marathoners catch up. If you are slower you just go to the side. Even though they weren’t strict I was happy I was under 3 hours. One other minor critique is the end was a bit tight and I had a last minute kick in me that I could quite pull off as I had to dodge around too many people. I still finished around 2:55 which was a solid finishing time. The medal is nice but not outstanding. After the finish line you get your shirt which was like the medal nice but not outstanding. No real other swag. There were long food and drink lines. From what I could see the food didn’t seem worth waiting in line for (I saw fruit, chips, and pork which I don’t eat). They did have someone give out granola bars outside of the line which was all I need. I didn’t stay for the post race party as I had to get to Canada. It was a long walk to the shuttles but it was well marked. I was happy a shuttle was there without a line when I arrived and they dropped me off at my hotel. Overall this was a really fun race and a very nice course with only a few minor critiques. It is definitely the race to do for Minnesota if you can figure out the logistics. My other Minnesota race was Gopher to Badger with Run Stillwater. It was not as iconic as Grandma’s but was still a nice race with much easier logistics so look at Run Stillwater if you want a simpler option for Minnesota.
Beautiful scenery, a must do!
You can’t beat the atmosphere or the scenery. The crowd was amazing also all the way. It was easy to get your bib and the expo had a lot of … MORE
You can’t beat the atmosphere or the scenery. The crowd was amazing also all the way. It was easy to get your bib and the expo had a lot of good vendors. I thought this was a bucket list race but I am definitely coming back.
Great race without too many issues
Okay, I’ll start by saying this is my first marathon (but I’ve done MANY races of shorter distances) so I don’t have other marathons to compare it to. I had … MORE
Okay, I’ll start by saying this is my first marathon (but I’ve done MANY races of shorter distances) so I don’t have other marathons to compare it to.
I had a great time. The course is hilly not flat, but is net downhill, and most of the hills (imo) are pretty small. My legs still started aching in the last 1-2 miles – whether this was due to the hills or if they would’ve anyways I’m not sure.
I heard there was almost no crowd support until Duluth (mile 19-ish) but there was more than I thought. Several stretches with lots of loud spectators. The crowds in Duluth, especially the last 3 miles or so, were OUTSTANDING!!! The aid stations were well stocked. They all had cups of ice and some had sponges. The maple syrup gels at mile 17 were life saving as was the pickle juice a little while later.
The bad… no big issues to complain of. But take note that the pacers started out HOT. At least 10 seconds per mile fast. I went with the 3:25 pacer and was wondering if we’d pad the 3:20 pacer…. But I never even saw that pacer. Others told me the 3:20 and 3:30 pacers also went out hot. Then, the 3:25 pacer didn’t make it past around 16 or so miles at 3:25 pace….
The wait for the bus to the start was about 40 mins. I didn’t expect that but that’s probably to be expected. The walk BACK to the return buses was about a mile and was very unclearly marked and sucked. I was very tired and kept hoping I was going the right way and kept asking for directions (which most people seemed unsure of). Then I had to wait on the bus for 15-20 mins while it filled and the radio was cranked loud…
Also the gear bag pickup was insanely long. They need more volunteers and pickup lines. Lastly I’d always read about the porta pottie lines as the start and people peeing in the woods. I thought they just couldn’t be that long and KNEW that wouldn’t be me. But I went to the lines for 20 seconds before I realized there was no way I was waiting bc I’d miss my start time so it was literally impossible – and I used the woods. If they want us to stop doing that, they NEED more porta potties!!! There’s a lot – but clearly not enough. Maybe 4 start corrals (they currently have 3) would be helpful too bc the corrals were insane….
All in all those things are fairly minor and I’d do it again!
Scenic Race
Overall a good race. I liked the course and the views. Great crowd support and water/nutrition stations. I would have finished with my 2:45 pacer had I not stopped to … MORE
Overall a good race. I liked the course and the views. Great crowd support and water/nutrition stations. I would have finished with my 2:45 pacer had I not stopped to have some cold beer and frozen pineapple. 🙂
Packet pickup was easy but you had to walk through the expo which was a crowded mess. The spaghetti dinner was ok. We were just starving so ended up buying and eating it there. Parking was a mess.
The only reason I ran this one is because I was in Minnesota for another event so killed 2 birds with one stone.
Swag, what swag? I expected more with them advertising it as a big year. It was a small medal and a shirt.
Busses were efficient, at least for me and where we parked, but I heard others complaining about other locations. Family and people watching got to ride the busses back which left sore and tired runners waiting for a ride. Not cool.
Rolling hills for days
I’m going to start with the good here. The overall vibe was very good. The after parties were some of the best I’ve seen with live music and entertainment. The … MORE
I’m going to start with the good here. The overall vibe was very good. The after parties were some of the best I’ve seen with live music and entertainment. The medals were beautiful!! Spaghetti dinner was excellent.
The ok: you have to earn your marathon shirt. That’s fine and all, but I’d prefer those to be cotton so I could wear everyday. That’s just my preference though, not the end of the world by any means.
The bad (which wasn’t terrible): race day pick up busses. My pick up was at the mall. There were more runners than busses there. I waited close to 1 hour to get on the bus. I know the person working it out was doing everything he could to get more busses on the way to pick everyone up. The lad next to me was in corral B, which by the time we got to the race (it had already started) and corral C was already moving forward. We still got there for the race. It was just a lot of stress wondering if you’d make it since it’s nearly a 35-40 minute drive on race day.
The races:
5k was a TON of fun!! Great course, great views. After party was awesome. And even the snacks at the end were good.
Kids races: my little one did it and it was a blast. Probably more so for the parents lol it was just such great fun and they did such a wonderful job with it. The kids got medals and lots of swag.
Marathon:after the stress of trying to make it on time was over, it started fairly well. Plenty of port a potties throughout the course. Lots of water stations. As far as nutrition on the course, the watermelon and oranges and strawberries were delicious!! The crowds came out for everyone and that was so nice to have. One of the people who lives on the course grilled hot dogs for the runners, what a great gentleman he was!! The course has a lot of rolling hills. The worst one was at mile 22. So prepare for that. Loved seeing grandma at the finish line.
Overall good vibes. Even the hotel I stayed at got in the groove for marathon weekend. I can see Duluth is very proud of grandmas marathon. Glad I’ve done it. Thank you state number 7/50 in my book.
Beautiful course and great volunteers
1st time at grandma’s, but 15th or so marathon; but this was one of the most beautiful courses and the production and volunteers were great. This is the 50th year … MORE
1st time at grandma’s, but 15th or so marathon; but this was one of the most beautiful courses and the production and volunteers were great. This is the 50th year for the race, and they clearly have things down to a science. The pre-race communication is excellent—including getting an email each of the last 6 weeks leading up to the actual race. they spell out your corral, the process for picking up your packet(s); what to expect when you get there; pretty much everything you need to know. The expo is big-and can be very crowded. My advice is if you can get there the Thursday before the race, then do that and go to the expo on Thursday afternoon. Picking up the packet was easy, and the volunteers were friendly and helpful. Friday had the 5K, which I did as part of the Great Grandma Challenge. They also have the Michellinas all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner that runs from 11am-9pm. The food isn’t anything special; but the volunteers were tremendous. The volunteers throughout the weekend were always wonderful. I’ve heard the phrase “Minnesota nice” and that applied to the volunteers. The marathon was on Saturday morning. I’d like it more if it started earlier; but that’s a minor issue. You catch a train or one of the buses out to the start. The train was late leaving;; but everyone got to the start line on time. The scenery on the course is beautiful. Frequent views of Lake Superior. Surrounded by forests for much of the race. you also get a nice breeze off the lake. They had water and Powerade and frequently cups of ice at the aid stations. there were also people giving out watermelon; pieces of pineapple; Nerds; beer; pickles-and I’m sure I’m forgetting some other things. There were parts of the course where there aren’t a lot of people, but that’s because you’re in the middle of the forest. When there were people, they were enthusiastic. Closer to the end, there were a lot of people and they really help you dig deep to finish. The finisher medal was very nice. the food at the end was about the same as what you get elsewhere. Bottom line is this was a great race put on by people who really know what they’re doing. 2 things to remember if you go: get your hotel early (and be prepared for it to be expensive); and if you can walk to the expo, by all means do that. I walked over from my hotel and saw the traffic backed up beyond my sight for people trying to drive in to the parking lot where the expo was being help.
Chaos in the Corral but otherwise great
The course for the half is fairly flat. A couple small hills toward the end of the race but nothing too crazy. The organizers did a great job from the … MORE
The course for the half is fairly flat. A couple small hills toward the end of the race but nothing too crazy. The organizers did a great job from the expo to the spaghetti dinner and the race finish. The water stations at every mile were amazing, I wish every race had this! My biggest complaint was that the porta potties were located inside corral 3 and it made it very crowded and congested prior to the race. Anyone could go into corral 3 so runners from every corral were in that one.
Grandma is 50 & getting larger
Grandmas is a well oiled machine. This year there was 12,000 runners which was a record high. There were so many runners in town for this event. There is a … MORE
Grandmas is a well oiled machine. This year there was 12,000 runners which was a record high. There were so many runners in town for this event. There is a large running spirit in this town. Businesses and the city come together and cater to this run. It’s like the Super Bowl in town. People line up the streets in campers downtown.
I came in town on Thursday and there was already a lot of people in town. On Friday, the expo was crowded at noon. You have to go all the way to the back and into the arena just to pick up your bib. The room of the convention center included all of the usual marathon vendors. There was an ASICS store along with many other city marathons at discounted rates. The official story of grandma’s marathon had a lot of merchandise for 50 years. They did not, however, have a magnet which I was disappointed about. This year they added a museum of all the history of grandma’s, however I did not go to this museum. Because there were so many people in town and it’s a small city, there was a lot of traffic jams which affected getting into other cities. The bus schedules were all delayed and affected as well. It’s important that you give yourself enough time to get to the expo and out. If you plan on driving, it is highly advised to take public transit.
On race day, Saturday, which was my first ever marathon on a Saturday required busing to the start line. Getting there via a rideshare or personal driver was not allowed. There were many different stops in the city of Duluth and one in superior. It is important to give yourself enough time to get to your scheduled bus ride based off of your corral number. This was the first year that the marathon had corrals which were labeled A,B or C. The earlier the corral the earlier you were expected to make it to your bus. Because I was in corral A, I had to be on my bus at 5:30 AM, however, when I got there I was there very early…. 75 minutes early when I believe I could’ve gotten there a lot later without a problem. People were just standing around waiting. This would be very miserable if the weather was cold and or rainy. The weather was cool and sunny out.
My performance wasn’t optimal for this race because I sustained an injury getting into town on Thursday falling on my face and injuring my knee and eye. I was running the marathon with a big swollen eye. The race however, was very beautiful with stunning views of Lake superior beginning at mile four. You can see the lake throughout the run on and off between the trees. There was also a lot of rolling hills throughout the marathon, which made it difficult on my knee. The largest incline was around mile 21 at Lemon drop. The downhill affected me more with the pain in my knee. So if you have an injury, keep this in mind. There wasn’t too much crowd support to begin the race, but as you get closer to Duluth after mile 13 cheering squads come out…. There was a lot of crowd support between 13 and 14 mile marker. There was also a lot of water, ice, electrolyte stands every two miles or so. Mile markers were marked by a large yellow balloon on each side of the road, which was cool. The mile markers, however, did not measure up to my running app and seem to come earlier, but they made up for it later, making the Miles feel longer towards the last few miles of the marathon. There were some tail winds throughout but also a lot of head winds, which seemed to also come when there was an uphill. There was some live band throughout the marathon and a lot of unofficial nutrition stops, most notably the beer stop at the halfway point. This I did not partake in. The crowd support at the last few miles was a big confidence booster, which pushed me to the finish line with the fastest miles of the race. Here there is a lot of live music and energy.
At the finish line you receive your medal, followed by a space blanket bananas and water and finishers shirt. The medal this year was cool with a 50 year anniversary emblem. Then you have to proceed to the left and walk a little ways and get some energy bars, chips, popcorn, bagels and chocolate milk with no bag to put everything in. Unless you used gear check, you will have no bag for post race snacks. The only thing I grabbed was the. popcorn. And if you feel up to it, there was an adult beverage available with a drink ticket. This I also did not partake in. Then you have to walk quite a ways all the way back to the front of the convention center to catch your bus. Luckily my bus was sitting there waiting and had not left yet. I was able to talk my bus driver into dropping me off right at my hotel, which was convenient. This is a race you should do at least once.
Great support, pretty route
There is a reason this race is so highly ranked. The race production is fantastic. So many aid stations and all well stocked. The race transportation was smooth and the … MORE
There is a reason this race is so highly ranked. The race production is fantastic. So many aid stations and all well stocked. The race transportation was smooth and the start line was well organized with plenty of port-a-potties.
The expo was one of the largest I’ve been to recently. While the expo was packed, I didn’t have to wait in line at all to pick up my packet.
The metal is nice and finishers received a tech t-shirt. Lots of volunteers at the finish handing out food and water.
Spectators were sparse at the beginning but grew as we approached town. My husband was able to see me at around mile 11 and get to the finish to see me there as well.
I know finding hotels can be hard and expensive. We brought our camper and stayed at the Red Pine Campground, about 15 minutes from the start line bus pickup at Miller Hill mall. The campground rates were the same as their usual rates (I paid $55/night), so if this is an option, it’s a way to save money and still not be too far from the race festivities.
Gotta love Grandma’s!!!
Grandma’s has race day figured out down to every last perfectly executed detail. It’s a great race, great volunteer and spectator support, and a fabulous course. It’s definitely one for … MORE
Grandma’s has race day figured out down to every last perfectly executed detail. It’s a great race, great volunteer and spectator support, and a fabulous course. It’s definitely one for your bucket list. As much as I loved race day, it’s logistically so challenging because the town of Duluth just isn’t meant to host that many runners. I did the 50th anniversary race which sold out fast. I think the half was full within an hour. Finding a hotel was impossible from the moment I registered for the race. Luckily several universities hosted runners so I stayed at College of St Scholastica. Parking and traffic at the Expo was a nightmare. All runners must take a bus to the start line and those started running at 415a. So…buckle in and just give in to the logistic complications because this one is worth it all. The course is a good one for a PR and the scenery and views of Lake Superior were awesome. After the race was all day and night bands and festivities. Definitely a great time.
Good race
The views were good. A little tricky with shuttles. No bag drop at the start. Great communication before the race. Overall nice race. Good crowd support. Finisher shirts were kinda … MORE
The views were good. A little tricky with shuttles. No bag drop at the start. Great communication before the race. Overall nice race. Good crowd support. Finisher shirts were kinda cool but I wish I saw what they were before so I knew if I should buy race merchandise before.
Grandma’s was rough for me!
Mostly it was on me (I wasn’t well enough trained), but there were some things about Grandma’s that made it hard for me. First, getting to the start line. Second, … MORE
Mostly it was on me (I wasn’t well enough trained), but there were some things about Grandma’s that made it hard for me. First, getting to the start line. Second, it was incredibly humid. Third, I was near the back and a lot of the latter aid stations were packing up when I got there. Also, I can’t say I loved the swag.
Great Race
Super fun race - beautiful scenery and great organization. Only thing I wasn't a big fan of was the shirt. Volunteers were great, plenty of aid stations. A little bit … MORE
Super fun race – beautiful scenery and great organization. Only thing I wasn’t a big fan of was the shirt. Volunteers were great, plenty of aid stations. A little bit of confusion as they moved up the start time because of the storms but then combined all waves into one – I didn’t receive the second comm in time. Overall, highly recommended.
Well-run marathon
2025 was the 49th yr of this marathon so race organizers have gotten it to a well-run operation. This is a point-to-point course going from Two Harbors to Duluth along … MORE
2025 was the 49th yr of this marathon so race organizers have gotten it to a well-run operation. This is a point-to-point course going from Two Harbors to Duluth along Lake Superior. It’s a net slight downhill course but with rolling hills.
The expo was huge. Mile markers were flagged by balloons so you could see them ahead. Strawberries at about mile 22 were a nice touch. The only weak link was the after-race nutrition which was the usual bananas, apples, chips, bagels….Pork sticks were the only unique thing…And there was a beer if you wanted it which always tastes good after 26+ miles.
This was a PR for me so it was a good experience. Recommend.
Great Energy!
The crowd and community are great at Grandma's. I was worried about the logistics, but it went very smoothly, especially with the weather in the middle of the night. I … MORE
The crowd and community are great at Grandma’s. I was worried about the logistics, but it went very smoothly, especially with the weather in the middle of the night. I would probably run this race again!
Very popular race !
All of the other fellow runners' reviews of this race are very good. So there is not much to add. This is a very popular race with 8000 in the … MORE
All of the other fellow runners’ reviews of this race are very good. So there is not much to add. This is a very popular race with 8000 in the half marathon selling out in only one day !!! If you’re interested, check registration opening day and be ready. Also important to note that accommodation prices will skyrocket for this weekend.
Weather seems to be unpredictable. This year the half got delayed 30 minutes due to busing delays from a 4AM storm. The half usually starts at 6AM. Temp started in the 50sF (10sC) and quickly rose to the 60sF with high humidity. Bring some disposable layers because gear bags are NOT allowed at the HALF start line !! (it is different for the full). You MUST drop your bag off BEFORE boarding a bus to the start. They will take it to the finish line from there. Taking the bus to the start is imperative. Most main roads are closed and there is no parking at the start. Been dropped off at the start will be a major hassle. Duluth is very nice this time of the year and the North Scenic Drive is fantastic.
A race worth doing!
Due to severe lightning causing a weather delay, the bus loading was a little chaotic. The busses drop off the half marathoners before going back to pick up the marathoners … MORE
Due to severe lightning causing a weather delay, the bus loading was a little chaotic. The busses drop off the half marathoners before going back to pick up the marathoners so at our spot there was a bus coming every 10 minutes, which was a little stressful since it took a while to get to the top. The race was supposed to start in 3 waves (A, B, C) but the organizers realized that the pacing signs didn’t align with the waves people were put in, which is something that should have been caught before 30 minutes before the race. The starting corral is pretty challenging to get into because the bottleneck you in through the sides, so a lot of people were stuck outside the corral when the race started. Obviously your time doesn’t start until you cross the mat but it was a little stressful to start a race.
On the course, the race was organized beautifully. Aid stations were where you expected them to be on the map and were well-stocked and packed with volunteers. There’s an option for water at the beginning of the aid station and again at the end, which is always nice if you want to grab a second cup to splash. They also had ice and sponges to help cool people off.
The course itself is relatively easy, very flat with really only one hill at Mile 22. The hill isn’t terrible unless you’re already half-dead because you’re undertrained for the race. There are only a few glimpses of Lake Superior; I had been hoping to see more of it but most of the view of the lake is blocked by trees.
It was VERY humid. I don’t live there so I can’t say what it’s normally like but the first mile is a bit suffocating while you’re still jam-packed with people and there’s just stale, humid area. Eventually, you get some cool air off the lake when the trees open up a bit and the breeze felt absolutely incredible! The end is closer to the lake so it stayed cooler in the last mile or so.
The spectators are phenomenal! Every 2-3 miles throughout the race and then they essentially line the last 10k so there’s a lot of support to help get you through.
Duluth itself is also a really cool town so with a flat and fast course, awesome spectators, and a a neat environment, this race should definitely be on your list!
Minnesota Must-Do
Love love love this Marathon! Point to point course with rolling hills and incredible support. It really does feel like all of Duluth get behind this race and come out … MORE
Love love love this Marathon! Point to point course with rolling hills and incredible support. It really does feel like all of Duluth get behind this race and come out to cheer the runners on.
The weather wasn’t exactly on our side this year- it was warm and very humid which made the second half tough. Little snippets of breeze from Lake Superior felt amazing.
We made this into a family racecation and there was lots of fun stuff to keep my kids occupied (free concert, free kids race). My husband reports that spectating was easy, and the communication for spectators was thorough.
All in all, extremely well run, amazing vibes. A celebration of Minnesota and if our beloved sport!