Great Grandma’s Challenge

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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NEXT RACE(S)

June 20-21, 2025

LOCATION

Duluth, MN

RACE CAPACITY

1,200 total
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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!

2024 Grandma's Marathon Weekend Finishers
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Largest Event in History

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.

2025 RACE DETAILS

COURSE MAP --- GRANDMA'S MARATHON

The Grandma’s Marathon course is a picturesque, point-to-point 26.2-mile stretch along the beautiful shores of Lake Superior. With rolling hills and a net downhill elevation, our racecourse starts north of Duluth, MN near Two Harbors and runs along Scenic Highway 61, hugging the shores of Lake Superior before taking participants through the heart of downtown Duluth and finishing in historic Canal Park.

TIME REQUIREMENT
Our course is open for 7 hours (16:00/mile pace). To stay on pace, participants should arrive at Mile 19 by 1:00 p.m. (approximately 5 hours into the race). IMPORTANT: Anyone choosing to continue after the 7-hour time limit will be required to use the sidewalks and follow all pedestrian/traffic laws.

TOTAL ELEVATION CHANGE: -130 FEET
Elevations are approximate.

LOCATION

Start
Mile 1
Mile 2
Mile 3
Mile 4
Mile 5
Mile 6
Mile 7
Mile 8
Mile 9
Mile 10
Mile 11
Mile 12
Mile 13
Mile 14
Mile 15
Mile 16
Mile 17
Mile 18
Mile 19
Mile 20
Mile 21
Mile 22
Mile 23
Mile 24
Mile 25
Mile 26
Finish

 

ELEVATION (FEET)

740
712
686
656
664
637
634
640
664
677
620
639
638
617
629
631
620
640
645
625
655
672
651
657
645
636
611
610

CHANGE (MILE TO MILE)


-28
-26
-30
+8
-27
-3
+6
+24
+13
-57
+19
-1
-21
+12
+2
-11
+20
+5
-20
+30
+17
-21
+6
-12
-9
-25
-1

COURSE MAP --- GARRY BJORKLUND HALF MARATHON

The Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon course is a picturesque, point-to-point 13.1-mile stretch along the beautiful shores of Lake Superior. With rolling hills and a net downhill elevation, our racecourse starts north of Duluth, MN and runs along Scenic Highway 61, hugging the shores of Lake Superior before taking participants through the heart of downtown Duluth and finishing in historic Canal Park.

TIME REQUIREMENT
Our racecourse will be open for 3 hours (14:00/mile pace) on race day. IMPORTANT: Anyone choosing to continue after the 3-hour time limit will be required to move to the RIGHT SIDE of the course to make way for oncoming full marathoners.

TOTAL ELEVATION CHANGE: -5 FEET
Elevations are approximate.

LOCATION

Start
Mile 1
Mile 2
Mile 3
Mile 4
Mile 5
Mile 6
Mile 7
Mile 8
Mile 9
Mile 10
Mile 11
Mile 12
Mile 13
Finish

ELEVATION (FEET)

615
629
631
620
640
645
625
655
672
651
657
645
636
611
610

CHANGE (MILE TO MILE)


+14
+2
-11
+20
+5
-20
+30
+17
-21
+6
-12
-9
-25
-1

ENTRY FEE STRUCTURE

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

NEW IN 2025: A change to the William A. Irvin 5K racecourse means participants will now run along Canal Park Drive and across the iconic finish line of Grandma’s Marathon and the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon. A full, updated course map will be available soon.

The 2025 race will also start at 1:00 p.m. on Friday of race weekend as opposed to what’s become the traditional 6:00 p.m. start.

THE SWAG

2025 LIMITED EDITION HOODIE — $50.00
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 — $30.00
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.

  • INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN

    Runners from all over the world travel to Duluth to participate in Grandma's Marathon weekend. In 2024, there were participants from 74 different countries and from all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, participating in the weekend's events.

  • LOCALLY SUPPORTED

    Close to 4,000 volunteers collectively work more than 40,000 hours each year to help make Grandma's Marathon weekend a success, and the event's sponsors include more than 85 local, regional, and international companies and businesses.

  • ECONOMIC DRIVER

    Grandma's Marathon weekend generates almost $21M annually in regional economic impact, and our Charity Partners Program has raised over $3M since 2014 for area nonprofits. The Young Athletes Foundation (YAF), which is the nonprofit of Grandma's Marathon, has itself contributed more than $1.3M to our area's youth athletic organizations and programs since 1990.

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 100A 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.

grandmas marathon logo

Future Grandma’s
Marathon Weekends

June 20-21, 2025
June 19-20, 2026
June 18-19, 2027
June 16-17, 2028
June 15-16, 2029
June 21-22, 2030