I have to admit, I had no intentions to run Grandma’s Marathon this year. While I had an incredible weekend there in 2022 and came away with a result with which I was thrilled, there are numerous other races around the world that I would like to participate in. However, when I returned to Brooklyn from Duluth last year my love for Grandma’s was evident and interest in the race amongst my North Brooklyn Runners (NBR) teammates grew, leading me to promise some friends that I would apply to become an official Ambassador for the race, affectionately known as a “Grambassador,” and run it again with them if I were chosen. As fate would have it, I was selected, and I found myself committed to running Grandma’s Marathon again in 2023.
While NBR had a strong group of six participants in the 2022 race, we very quickly surpassed that number with a peak of 32 teammates committed to running in the 2023 edition. But, as hard as marathons are, marathon training is so much more difficult and that number slowly dwindled due to individual circumstances such as injuries, family obligations, and work commitments. But come race weekend we still had 21 North Brooklyn Runners toe the starting line, an impressive figure from New York but still just a drop in the bucket of the more than 16,000 participants in the weekend’s races.
The weekend began with frustration for me personally, as I realized during the descent into MSP International that my body was in a terrible state. I hadn’t been feeling well since New York was hit with the historically bad air quality from the Canadian fires but I remained optimistic that I’d recover in time for race day. Unfortunately, the searing sensation in my sinuses and the vice-like pain in my head eliminated that optimism and the next 36 hours had me reevaluating my expectations and formulating a new plan. Lucky for me, this new plan involved running with a group of my amazing NBR teammates.
Come 5:15 on race day, we began our journey by boarding our hotel shuttle to the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, where the buses to the starting line awaited. We were one of the first buses into the starting area but fortunately we had access to a special run club tent with coffee, chairs, and our own set of porta-johns. As our 7:45 start time approached more of our teammates arrived and the anticipation began to grow, each individual mentally preparing for the arduous task ahead. After one final trip through the bathroom line we made our way into the starting area. Despite the fact that Grandma’s Marathon is the 10th largest marathon in the country, there are no corrals, instead relying on a self-sorting honor system which seems fittingly Midwestern. Our group of six North Brooklyn Runners made our way into the mass of marathoners, positioning ourselves just behind the 3:30 pace group, ready to tackle the challenge that lay ahead.
I joined my friends Paul and NBR President Sara who had both committed to running the entirety of the race with our friend Anthony. Veteran marathoner Fernando lined up with us as well, ready for his 35th (or so) marathon which stood in stark contrast to Winn, who was running his first. The six of us set off through the woods, passing by small villages, and along the beautiful shores of Lake Superior. Each mile calling out paces, checking in with each other, reminding each other the next point we expected to come across my family and our friends along the course. As the race progressed, six became three, then three became two.
The mind becomes foggy in the last third of a marathon so I began to zone out as our group became a duo but I was snapped back to attention as I suddenly found myself running next to my aunt Marla. I had been told that my aunt and uncle made the trip up to Duluth to cheer me on but of course I had forgotten that by mile 18. Marla, a two-time Grandma’s finisher herself, left Mike and their dog behind to run by my side for a quarter mile stretch in order to hype me up, relay messages from my parents, and inform me that my cousins were waiting for me down at the finish line.
Reaching the end of the scenic highway and coming into Duluth, Winn and I remained with the 3:30 pace group still within our sights. At mile 23 we saw my family one last time and then a mile later we saw our cheering teammates with their NBR flag. Passing through mile 25, it was clear we would finish under 3:30, leaving the remaining 1.2 miles an experience of pure euphoria. We took turns pushing each other through the final stretch until I made the mistake of engaging my final kick too early, allowing Winn to catch back up and pass me as we crossed the finish line with massive smiles on our faces.
The sprint finish drained me, necessitating assistance from one of the incredible volunteers on the day. After making my way to the baggage collection area I was able to gather myself and begin to check in on how the rest of my teammates had fared that morning. Sara, Paul, and Anthony had all finished together, as promised. While the weather wasn’t completely perfect, the slightly warm finishing temperature in the mid 60s still allowed for some outstanding achievements within our group; four North Brooklyn Runners ran a Personal Record, four North Brooklyn Runners qualified for Boston for the first time, and four North Brooklyn Runners finished their first marathon.
The running community is extremely welcoming but I feel never more so than immediately after a marathon. In the finishing area I gathered my bag and sat down next to a group of Mill City Runners and they welcomed me as if I were one of their own. I chatted at length with a kind couple and our finishing times never came up. The camaraderie and collective sense of accomplishment supersedes any goal you may have set. Unless you’re a professional your time is completely irrelevant to literally everyone but yourself. Everyone has their own story, taking their own journey to get to the starting line but regardless of how fast you run we all have to fight through the same 26.2 miles, resulting in a beautiful kinship throughout the entire field.
After the race, most of my group was able to make our way up the course to a local brewery where we celebrated and shared our race experiences. Our friends cheering along the course had chosen this as their final cheer spot and were able to secure a table for our large group. Some of our family members, including my own, were able to join us as well. We sat for hours, laughing and celebrating each other’s accomplishments. Oh, and apparently Nick Willis was there too.
Despite the fact that I haven’t lived there in over a decade by now, I remain a proud and loyal Minnesotan. That’s why I ran Grandma’s in 2022, that’s why I praised the race to all my friends, and that’s how I was able to convince them all to travel out to Duluth. But the race matches the hype. Once you get your lodging, you’re in for an incredible weekend. Even though I didn’t run the race I hoped, I had such an unbelievably fun time in Minnesota with my teammates, sharing a hotel room with my good friends I get to see too rarely, hanging out with my family throughout the weekend, drinking a few beers on Thursday watching the US-Mexico match while waiting for teammates to arrive into the city, dining with everyone in the massive hall at the all-you-can-eat pasta dinner, meeting my teammate’s family members, and even some teammates, for the first time. Even getting to watch the Twins play on Sunday with my parents.
I don’t know that I’ll run Grandma’s Marathon again in the near future, but I could be convinced.
Thomas Kelsey
Follow Him on: Instagram
Favorite Grandma’s Marathon Memory: I was running Grandma’s Marathon in 2022 and I was beginning to struggle a little bit coming up to Lemon Drop Hill, my calves beginning to cramp up, but almost my entire family was able to make the trip up to Duluth and I knew they were waiting for me at the top of that hill. Then, shortly after seeing them, I came across a group of enthusiastic spectators that had formed a human cheer tunnel. From that point on, the crowds fueled me and gave me the motivation I needed to fight through those last 3 miles and finish strong.
Song that must be on your running playlist: I don’t typically run with headphones but I have found a few songs playing in my head during almost every run, most of all Paper Planes by M.I.A. I should probably learn the words at some point.
Reason you absolutely won’t run outside: I can’t deal with driving rain. I would rather crawl on a treadmill than endure 1 mile in that nastiness.
2023 Running Goal: I was able to make huge improvements in every race distance in 2022 and I just hope to keep that progress going, maybe even targeting a Boston Qualifying time if everything goes well. But my biggest running goal is always just to remain healthy.
Post-race Beverage: The coldest, cheapest beer available. Preferably the Champagne of Beers.