MARATHON START LINE
With the woods of northern Minnesota and the scenic shores of Lake Superior providing a unique backdrop, the Grandma’s Marathon start line welcomes thousands of runners each year just south of Two Harbors, MN.
26.2 miles away sits the finish line in Canal Park, bringing lots of nervous excitement and anticipation to the participants toeing the start line — no matter if they’ve raced in Duluth before or not.
GRANDMA’S MARATHON START LINE
893 Scenic Drive
Two Harbors, MN 55616
The start times for Grandma’s Marathon are as follows:
- 7:35 a.m. — Wheelchair & Adaptive
- 7:40 a.m. — Men’s Elite & Semi-Elite
- 7:45 a.m. — Women’s Elite & Semi-Elite
- 7:45 a.m. — Citizen Corral A
- 7:55 a.m. — Citizen Corral B
- 8:05 a.m. — Citizen Corral C
NOTE: Non-binary participants who are accepted into the elite or semi-elite field will be invited to participate in either the men’s or women’s start.
Using official bus or train transportation is the ONLY allowable way for participants to get to the start line of Grandma’s Marathon. For the safety of our participants, volunteers, and the public, individual drop-offs at the start line area are strictly prohibited.
Buses will depart from the following locations on race morning:
- Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC)
- Miller Hill Mall
- University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD)
- Duluth East High School
- Proctor Sports & Event Center
- University of Wisconsin Superior (UWS)
- Two Harbors High School
Marathon participants will also have the option of taking the North Shore Scenic Railroad to the start line.
These transportation options are for PARTICIPANTS ONLY, and your race bib must be visible to board. NOTE: Participants will be asked to choose their preferred loading location via email in early May. Please look for this email and make your selection in Race Roster — it greatly helps our transportation team in creating its plan for race morning.
Please click HERE for more information on loading times and other information on start line transportation.
There will also be FREE return shuttle bus service provided for participants and spectators on race day. The buses will run continuously from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on race day.
Participants will receive a clear plastic gear bag at race packet pickup. A label with race number will be included and must be placed in the designated spot on the bag.
Unofficial gear bags (including backpacks) are NOT PERMITTED AND WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Do not leave valuables in the gear bag. Grandma’s Marathon is not responsible for lost or damaged items, and all bags are subject to inspection and should not be left unattended.
To help create a more efficient start experience, Grandma’s Marathon uses a staggered start process with three separate corrals for participants.
Based on goal finish time submitted during registration, participants will be assigned to either Start Corral A, B, or C. IMPORTANT: Corral assignments will be emailed in late May and will be printed on each participant’s race bib.
Corrals will have separate start times, listed below:
Corral A: 7:45 a.m.
Corral B: 7:55 a.m.
Corral C: 8:05 a.m.
Participants may choose to move BACKWARD in the corral system, but in no scenario can a participant move FORWARD (i.e. if you’re assigned to corral A, you can choose to start in either B or C).
Volunteers and signage will help direct you to the correct corral on race morning. Toilets will be available to participants before entering the starting corral.
IMPORTANT: Please expect and plan for congestion and long lines at the start line, especially for the portable toilets. There will also be speakers playing music and announcements – if noise is a sensory issue, please plan to bring ear plugs to use until after the race has started.
Click HERE for more information on the specifics on the start line area of the race.
Experienced pacers, presented by ASICS, will be available at the listed goal times: 2:55, 3:00, 3:05, 3:15, 3:20, 3:25, 3:30, 3:35, 3:45, 3:50, 4:00, 4:05, 4:10, 4:20, 4:35, 4:50, 5:00, 5:15, 5:30, 6:00, and 6:30.
Participants can find pace team leaders on race day near the sign in the start corral indicating their goal finish time.
There will be plenty of portable toilets, as well as water and medical aid, available to participants at the start area in the parking lot of Sonju Two Harbors.
NOTE: Please be respectful of our neighbors along the racecourse and help keep Minnesota’s North Shore pristine by using designated portable toilets ONLY. Participants doing otherwise run the risk of disqualification.
The Grandma’s Marathon start area is lined on one side by trees and private property and on the other side by railroad tracks and Lake Superior. Due to this confined nature, as well as a lack of available parking, spectators are not encouraged at or near the start line.
More specific spectator information for race weekend can be found HERE.
Timing mats will be placed at the following checkpoints on the Grandma’s Marathon racecourse: 3.1M, 6.2M, 13.1M, 16.2M, 20M, 22M, 24M, and 25M.
Live runner tracking, powered by ASICS, is available through our Grandma’s Marathon mobile app. The app can be downloaded HERE on Apple and Android, but live runner tracking will be available only on race day.
Grandma’s Marathon is committed to ensuring our events, programs, and services are accessible to all participants, volunteers, vendors, spectators, and community members. Our intention is that organization adhere to the principles of social equity and inclusion and remain open, welcoming, safe, and accessible for all who participate.
We will provide reasonable accommodation for individuals with permanent physical, intellectual, visual, auditory, or sensory impairments.
If you require an accommodation, please contact Event Operations Manager Erin Hamrick at [email protected] or via phone at (218) 727-0947. NOTE: If you need accommodation for Grandma’s Marathon weekend, you must indicate your need on your registration form or contact us directly by May 15.
Please click HERE to view our full Grandma’s Marathon Access & Equity Policy, and please click HERE for some more specifics on the accessibility of race weekend.
Our event uses the Event Alert System (EAS) to communicate information on current conditions prior to and on race day. Participants, spectators, and volunteers should familiarize themselves with the color-coded flags, which will be posted prior to the race at the fitness expo and on race day at the start line and at each water station. Updates may also be communicated over public address systems and by race officials.
Anyone seeking medical information on a participant should inquire at the Medical Information Tent near the finish line or by calling the marathon office at (218) 727-0947. If you need assistance for a non-race related emergency, please call 911.
For answers to some of the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Grandma’s Marathon and our race weekend, please click HERE.
IMPORTANT START LINE INFORMATION
To help create a more efficient start experience, Grandma’s Marathon and the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon use a staggered start process with three separate corrals for participants.
Based on goal finish time submitted during registration, participants will be assigned to a specific start corral. These corral assignments will be printed on each participant’s race bib, and each corral will have a separate start time (listed below).
GRANDMA’S MARATHON
Corral A: 7:45 a.m. | Corral B: 7:55 a.m. | Corral C: 8:05 a.m.
GARRY BJORKLUND HALF MARATHON
Corral 1: 6:00 a.m. | Corral 2: 6:10 a.m. | Corral 3: 6:20 a.m.
Participants may choose to move BACKWARD in the corral system, but in no scenario can a participant move FORWARD (i.e. if you’re assigned to corral A (or 1), you can choose to start in either B or C (or 2 or 3).
Volunteers and signage will help direct you to the correct corral on race morning. Toilets will be available to participants before entering the starting corral.
IMPORTANT: Please expect and plan for congestion and long lines at the start line, especially for the portable toilets. There will also be speakers playing music and announcements – if noise is a sensory issue, please plan to bring ear plugs to use until after the race has started.
HALF MARATHON START LINE
Before the sun has even fully risen on race day, thousands of participants will be ready to roll at the start line of the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon.
Just 13.1 miles from their ultimate destination, participants will be flanked for the first miles by the natural beauty of northern Minnesota — tall evergreens on their right, the waters of Lake Superior on their left.
GARRY BJORKLUND HALF MARATHON START LINE
5135 North Shore Drive
Duluth, MN 55804
The start times for the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon are as follows:
- 5:50 a.m. — Adaptive
- 6:00 a.m. — Men’s Elite & Semi-Elite
- 6:00 a.m. — Women’s Elite & Semi-Elite
- 6:00 a.m. — Citizen Corral 1
- 6:10 a.m. — Citizen Corral 2
- 6:20 a.m. — Citizen Corral 3
Using official bus transportation is the ONLY allowable way for participants to get to the start line of the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon. For the safety of our participants, volunteers, and the public, individual drop-offs at the start line area are strictly prohibited.
Buses will depart from the following locations on race morning:
- Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC)
- Miller Hill Mall
- University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD)
- Duluth East High School
- Proctor Sports & Event Center
- University of Wisconsin Superior (UWS)
- Two Harbors High School
These transportation options are for PARTICIPANTS ONLY, and your race bib must be visible to board. NOTE: Participants will be asked to choose their preferred loading location via email in early May. Please look for this email and make your selection in Race Roster — it greatly helps our transportation team in creating its plan for race morning.
Please click HERE for more information on loading times and other information on start line transportation.
There will also be FREE return shuttle bus service provided for participants and spectators on race day. The buses will run continuously from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on race day.
Participants will receive an official, clear plastic gear bag at race packet pick-up. A label with race number will be included and must be placed in the designated space on the bag.
Unofficial gear bags (including backpacks) are NOT PERMITTED AND WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Do not leave valuables in the gear bag. Grandma’s Marathon is not responsible for lost or damaged items, and all bags are subject to inspection and should not be left unattended.
Gear bags must be dropped at the bus pickup locations prior to departing for the start area. Gear bags WILL NOT be accepted at the half marathon start area.
Gear bag pickup is located in the finish area to the right of the finish chute. Participants may pick up your bag prior to visiting the Runner Recovery Lot for post-race refreshments, provided they stay within the secure, barricaded area.
To help create a more efficient start experience, the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon uses a staggered start process with three separate corrals for participants.
Based on goal finish time submitted during registration, participants will be assigned to either Start Corral 1, 2, or 3. IMPORTANT: Corral assignments will be emailed in late May and will be printed on each participant’s race bib.
Corrals will have separate start times, listed below:
Corral 1: 6:00 a.m.
Corral 2: 6:10 a.m.
Corral 3: 6:20 a.m.
Participants may choose to move BACKWARD in the corral system, but in no scenario can a participant move FORWARD (i.e. if you’re assigned to corral 1, you can choose to start in either 2 or 3).
Volunteers and signage will help direct you to the correct corral on race morning. Toilets will be available to participants inside each corral.
IMPORTANT: Please expect and plan for congestion and long lines at the start line, especially for the portable toilets. There will also be speakers playing music and announcements – if noise is a sensory issue, please plan to bring ear plugs to use until after the race has started.
Click HERE for more information on the specifics on the start line area of the race.
Experienced pacers, presented by ASICS, will be available at the listed goal times: 1:30, 1:40, 1:45, 1:50, 1:55, 2:00, 2:05, 2:10, 2:15, 2:20, 2:30, and 2:45.
Participants can find pace team leaders on race day near the sign in the start corral indicating their goal finish time.
There will be plenty of portable toilets, as well as water and medical aid, available to participants at the start area. After exiting your bus, please move forward until you reach the start corral you’re assigned. There will be banks of portable toilets in each area corral for our participant.
NOTE: Please be respectful of our neighbors along the racecourse and help keep Minnesota’s North Shore pristine by using designated portable toilets ONLY. Participants doing otherwise run the risk of disqualification.
The Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon start area is lined on one side by trees and private property and on the other side by Lake Superior. Due to this confined nature, as well as a lack of available parking, spectators are not encouraged at or near the start line.
More specific spectator information for race weekend can be found HERE.
Timing mats will be placed at the following checkpoints on the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon racecourse: 3.1M, 6.9M, 9M, 10.9m, and 11.9M.
Live runner tracking, powered by ASICS, is available through our Grandma’s Marathon mobile app. The app can be downloaded HERE on Apple and Android, but live runner tracking will be available only on race day.
Grandma’s Marathon is committed to ensuring our events, programs, and services are accessible to all participants, volunteers, vendors, spectators, and community members. Our intention is that organization adhere to the principles of social equity and inclusion and remain open, welcoming, safe, and accessible for all who participate.
We will provide reasonable accommodation for individuals with permanent physical, intellectual, visual, auditory, or sensory impairments.
If you require an accommodation, please contact Event Operations Manager Erin Hamrick at [email protected] or via phone at (218) 727-0947. NOTE: If you need accommodation for Grandma’s Marathon weekend, you must indicate your need on your registration form or contact us directly by May 15.
Please click HERE to view our full Grandma’s Marathon Access & Equity Policy, and please click HERE for some more specifics on the accessibility of race weekend.
Our event uses the Event Alert System (EAS) to communicate information on current conditions prior to and on race day. Participants, spectators, and volunteers should familiarize themselves with the color-coded flags, which will be posted prior to the race at the fitness expo and on race day at the start line and at each water station. Updates may also be communicated over public address systems and by race officials.
Anyone seeking medical information on a participant should inquire at the Medical Information Tent near the finish line or by calling the marathon office at (218) 727-0947. If you need assistance for a non-race related emergency, please call 911.
For answers to some of the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon and our race weekend, please click HERE.