Lifelong Participants: Steve Knuth’s Journey Back to Grandma’s Marathon

For Steve Knuth, Grandma’s Marathon has been part of his life for more than 30 years. His first marathon was in Duluth in 1995, and after finding his way back to running years later, he returned to Grandma’s in 2025. In 2026, he was back again for the race’s 50th running.
Steve’s running journey started in high school, where he ran cross country and track at Windom High School before graduating in 1987. He kept running after graduation and eventually decided he wanted to take on a marathon. Growing up, he had visited Duluth many times with family and friends, so Grandma’s Marathon was a natural choice for his first.
Back in 1995, registering for a race meant filling out paperwork and mailing it in. Steve remembers waiting several weeks to hear back after sending in his application. He didn’t have a time goal in mind. He just wanted to train and finish his first marathon.
On race morning, Steve made the two-hour drive to Duluth to pick up his bib, with two friends there to support him. Spectators cheered runners along the course, and at the finish, volunteers offered massages in a large tent. It was his first marathon, and it would become a race he would always remember.
After that first Grandma’s, life took Steve in a different direction, and he stepped away from running for a while. In 2021, he started walking regularly and gradually worked his way back into the sport. He ran the Mankato Marathon 5K that October, followed by 10Ks in 2022. Before long, he was running half marathons in Rochester and Mankato.
With each race, Steve continued building on his progress. Eventually, he began thinking about returning to the marathon distance. He knew he had done it before, and he wanted to take on that challenge again.
In 2025, he signed up for Grandma’s Marathon, knowing it would be 30 years since his first race. Returning to Duluth gave him the chance to revisit a memorable part of his running history and experience the course all over again.
He came back in 2026 for his third Grandma’s Marathon, making the race’s 50th running another special milestone. During the race, he twisted his ankle around mile five, but he kept moving forward and crossed the finish line. He is already looking ahead to 2027 and hopes to return, possibly to run the half marathon.
Over the years, Steve has seen plenty of changes in the running world. He remembers having just two pairs of running shoes when he first started, compared with the seven pairs he rotates through today. There is also so much more information available now about shoes, training, and fueling. Still, some of his favorite parts of racing remain the same: the atmosphere, the people cheering along the course, and the feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself.
Duluth has always held a special place in Steve’s life, from childhood trips with family and friends to the memories he has made at Grandma’s Marathon. Returning to the race has given him another reason to revisit a place that means so much to him.
Thirty years after his first marathon, Steve’s story has come full circle. From his first finish in 1995 to celebrating Grandma’s 50th running in 2026, he has continued to find his way back to the race. And with plans to return again, his connection to Grandma’s Marathon is still growing.