2025 Great Grandma’s Challenge registration will open on October 1 at 7:00 p.m. CT.
2025 Great Grandma’s Challenge registration is now open.
2025 Full Great Grandma’s Challenge registration is now open.
2025 Half Great Grandma’s Challenge registration is now sold out.
2025 Great Grandma’s Challenge registration is now sold out.
To 2025 Race Weekend
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26.2 or 13.1 not enough? You can enhance your race weekend experience!
- Full Great Grandma’s Challenge — Run the William A. Irvin 5K on Friday before Grandma’s Marathon on Saturday! NOTE: The Full Great Grandma’s Challenge is SOLD OUT.
- Half Great Grandma’s Challenge — Run the William A. Irvin 5K on Friday before the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon on Saturday! NOTE: The Half Great Grandma’s Challenge is SOLD OUT.
Connect with other Great Grandma’s Challenge participants!
- Participant Facebook Group — You’ve got questions about race weekend? Go straight to the source and connect with other participants!
- Grambassadors — We’ve assembled a group of experienced and enthusiastic race weekend veterans to offer help and encouragement!
WORLD CLASS EVENT, SMALL TOWN CHARM
Are you looking for the ultimate running experience on Grandma’s Marathon weekend?!
Take the Great Grandma’s Challenge!
Take your experience to a whole new level by participating in not just one, but two of our weekend races. All Challenge participants start with the William A. Irvin 5K on Friday, and they follow that up with either Grandma’s Marathon or the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon on Saturday morning.
It’s time to challenge yourself!
A RACE FOR THE AGES
The phrase “better late than never” is certainly appropriate when describing the 2025 Grandma’s Marathon weekend.
Thousands of participants, volunteers, and community members waited patiently through a 30-minute weather delay and then delivered to us one of the most iconic weekends in our event’s already storied history, with more than 7,500 people reaching the finish line.
2025 will surely stand the test of time as an example of why we go further when we go together. On a day that was difficult in many different ways, the end product was as meaningful and impactful as we’ve ever seen.
It was unique. It was completely ours. It was Grandma’s Marathon.
49, going on 50.
Largest Event in History
2025 RACE DETAILS
Full Great Grandma’s Challenge Pricing Structure
October 1-October 15 — $205
October 16-December 31 — $220
January 1-March 31 — $235
April 1-June 1 — $245
Half Great Grandma’s Challenge Pricing Structure
October 1-October 15 — $195
October 16-December 31 — $210
January 1-March 31 — $225
April 1-June 1 — $235
Use our FAQ page to find a quick answer to the most common
questions about Grandma’s Marathon weekend, or please feel
free to call our office at (218) 727-0947.
THE SWAG
2025 LIMITED EDITION HOODIE
Despite its name, the weekender hoodie is good for any day of the week. Made by Minnesota-based company Storm Creek, this hoodie is sporty, stylish, and all-around good-looking. A perfect outerlayer for your pre-race training or just for lounging around the house.
2025 TRAINING SHIRT
Look good, feel better, and run fast. Let your clothes do the talking for you and let the world know you’re training for the 2025 Grandma’s Marathon weekend in this 100% polyester, long-sleeve tech training shirt.
BUY BOTH & SAVE: Purchase both a jacket and training shirt during registration to receive a 20% discount code that can be used anytime on a single purchase of any size in our online store.
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
Grandma’s Marathon is now the 10th largest marathon in the United States, with 7,578 finishers in 2024 marking its largest field in the event’s 48-year history.
In total, more than 235,000 participants have crossed the finish line in Duluth’s Canal Park since the start of Grandma’s Marathon in 1977. If the current pace continues, organizers expect that total to reach the quarter million mark during the 50th annual event in June 2026.
LARGEST MARATHONS IN THE UNITED STATES (2024)
1. New York City Marathon — 54,646
2. Chicago Marathon — 52,129
3. Boston Marathon — 25,530
4. Los Angeles Marathon — 20,450
5. Marine Corps Marathon — 16,180
6. Honolulu Marathon — 13,173
7. Walt Disney Marathon — 12,694
8. Philadelphia Marathon — 12,377
9. California International Marathon — 8,356
10. Grandma’s Marathon — 7,578
Minnesota’s Best
Grandma’s Marathon has been voted four straight years as the state’s top annual sports event or race in the Minnesota’s Best awards, a Star Tribune initiative to celebrate the many businesses, organizations, and individuals that make Minnesota a great place to live, work, and play.
Minnesota’s Best is an audience-driven contest and had more than 1 million votes cast for 6,700+ organizations in 300+ categories.
Best of the Best
Grandma’s Marathon has been voted three straight years as the region’s best local tournament in the Best of the Best awards, which are hosted by our major media partner the Duluth News Tribune.
More that 140,000 votes were cast in this year’s competition, separating close to 45,000 nominees in hundreds of different categories searching to find the best of the best in Duluth and the surrounding area.
RUNNERS’ CHOICE
Grandma’s Marathon was named by RaceRaves users as the top marathon in the state of Minnesota, and the the race also earned a spot on The BibRave 100: A Definitive List of the Best Races in America.
Grandma’s Marathon was also named one of the nation’s top 5 “Race-Cations” for its combination of a premier event with other race weekend experiences.
MN Signature Event
Grandma’s Marathon was named a Signature Event by Explore Minnesota Tourism for its contributions to the state’s $15 billion travel industry.
In a 2019 economic study, it was reported that Grandma’s Marathon brings nearly $21 million to the region each year.
The organization aimed to highlight Minnesota-based, world-class events that produce substantial media exposure and generate significant travel dollars for the state of Minnesota.
Future Grandma’s
Marathon Weekends
June 19-20, 2026
June 18-19, 2027
June 16-17, 2028
June 15-16, 2029
June 21-22, 2030
