FAQs of Grandma’s Marathon

Hi, I am Angie and I am happy to be a Grambassador for the 50th year of Grandma’s Marathon. I have been participating in a Grandma’s Marathon event since 2014. I also have completed 36 full marathons, 78 half marathons, 10 ultras and lots of 5ks and 10ks. Running has been part of my life for such a long time.

With the 50th Grandma’s Marathon being less than 100 days away, I am getting excited. However, due to injury, I don’t even know if I will be able to run any of the events. I will still be traveling to Duluth and I am happy to help everyone get to the finish line and answer any questions regarding the weekend. 

Sure, the Grandma’s Marathon website has a section dedicated to FAQ; and I encourage you to utilize it, but there are also questions that pop up that are more specific or more personal. I recently took over the Grandma’s Instagram account and had some great questions asked. Since,I did not write down the usernames, I will touch on those topics in question and some other questions I have seen over the years in this post. 

What are some things to do (that are not along the waterfront:)

If you have a car:

1.) I would suggest going across the bridge to Wisconsin where you could experience a true supper club or snag some cheese curds. 

2.) Drive further north of Duluth, where there are many options. 

-Drive the race course to Two Harbors. (There is a cute candy shop around the Knife River.)  -Snag a slice of pie at Betty’s Pies. Caution, it is a busy place. 

-Check out Gooseberry Falls.

-Hike the Superior Hiking Trail. 

-Explore Split Rock Lighthouse. 

If you do not have a car:

1.) Ok so this is along the waterfront, but check out the Lift Bridge and for bonus points watch a freighter come into the harbor. The boat and bridge communicate through horn signals. There is also a live youtube streaming camera in this area and I always call my dad and wave to him

2.) Volunteer for the race. There are many positions still open from helping at the expo to being a race course marshal of the 5k. If you like to chat with other runners, volunteering is a great way to meet others. 

Concerns about course cutoff times:

Signing up for your first big race can be overwhelming, especially when there is a time limit on accomplishing your goal. First make sure you know what the course time limit is and how that translates into pace per mile, then trust your training. The full time limit is 7 hours or 16min/mile and the half is 3 hours or 14 min/mile.

The half marathon starts at 5:50AM-6:00 AM while the adaptive participants of the full marathon start at 7:35AM. If you are participating in the half marathon, you have that much of a head start to the finish line, as both races finish in the same place. The biggest thing to note is that as participants get to the later parts of course, you will need to share the space. Please be aware of your surroundings and be prepared to move to a side to share. Your bib will note which event you’re in when you come to the finish line, to get the appropriate medal and finisher’s shirt. 

If there are concerns for the full marathon time limit, I have sat in the finish line bleacher area and cheered on the final finishers. From what I have seen, they do everything they can to keep the finisher area prepped for the last runner. 

Merchandise:

This year’s race jacket is really nice, and when I shared myself wearing it, there were a lot of questions, which lead me to expo merchandise questions.

First, if you want to buy the jacket, you can still do that at grandmasmarathonstore.com. I know it can be controversial to “earn” the jacket, but for me I am happy to wear any merchandise that supports my love for the event. Just like me wearing my favorite sports team gear when I am not an athlete on the team.

Next, the expo has an entire section of race merchandise. There are so many different items to browse through that if you see something, you should purchase it the moment you see it. Popular items will go fast. In the past there have been popular brand stainless tumblers, cross body bags, tank tops, sweatshirts, stuffed animals, stickers, magnets, glassware and more.

Training:

I may not be the best person to answer this question. I am currently an injured runner that has “winged” marathons in the past. Ok, so I have also used a variety of training plans too. I will say this, pick a training plan and understand its purpose. 

How do you choose the plan that works for you? I can offer this, I really enjoyed Hal Higdon’s beginner plans and I have enjoyed the Hanson’s Method for a more advanced plan. If you are just looking for some guidance, your fitness watch might have a program based on your metrics from wearing it all the time. I went with a Garmin plan last year, as I trusted my watch to know how I might need to train. Grandma’s also provides training options through the Asics Runkeeper Go App.

Race Course:

I remember this question from last year and the concerns on the elevation. There are course maps and videos on the website, including elevation profiles and how far each mile is above sea level. If you are having concerns check out the “course map and video tour section.”

Where I live and am able to train, I have hilly areas that are just where I run, so the course does not feel difficult as far as elevation goes. With that being said, the course has some rolling areas and a decent climb around mile 22, “Lemon Drop Hill.” This hill is an overpass on the road. It seems daunting because it is a big climb late in the race. It’s not that bad, in fact there are a couple more short inclines as you go through town that can feel a bit more challenging on the legs, because mentally you think you are almost done.

Best Post Race Beer:

This may not be a topic for all, but I had a hard time answering this question as there are so many options. There are many great local craft breweries in Duluth. I tend to frequent the places that have food, I like Ursa Minor as they have pizza. Also, note that many restaurants in the area serve many of the local craft brews. (Little Angie’s behind the finish line, has many brews on tap.) Lastly, there is a party at Bayfront park, in this area there are beverage options too.

There is also a spot for ice cream near the finish area, if you would rather have this treat.

I hope I have hit some of the topics that might have needed deeper exploration. Usually the most asked question is about lodging. If you’re curious, call the hotels and ask to be put on a waiting list. The other tip is, book your hotel for next year the Sunday after the race. Otherwise I encourage you to use the Grandma’s marathon website, reach out to a Grambassador or check out the Grandma’s Marathon Weekend Participants facebook group. We are all here to share our love for this great race and hope you have a great weekend in Duluth