Saturday, June 20, 2015 was the annual Grandma’s Marathon here in our hometown of Duluth, MN. The weather was iffy. 58 degrees with rain. 58 degrees is OK, but not everyone liked starting in the rain.
According to Grandma’s website “Grandma’s Marathon is a point-to-point course run on scenic Old Highway 61 along the beautiful north shore of Lake Superior. The race begins just outside of Two Harbors, Minnesota and finishes in Duluth’s Canal Park.”
They do mention that the course is good for beginners as it is mostly even terrain except for the hill at mile 22. About 1,000 years ago there was a restaurant there called the Lemon Drop right at the crest of the hill. I believe many of the runners think of it as Lemon Drop Mountain…an aberration that slipped away from the Himalayas to threaten their well-being and completion of the race. A bridge over our Lake Walk is frequently used by those who need to empty their stomachs of all contents to the peril of those walking below.
A few statistics: there were 5,500 volunteers, 7,800 racers for the whole marathon, 8,350 for the Gary Bjorkland half, 1,800 for the 5K, around 1,000 kids run the Whipper Snapper and 50,000 folks are here for the event.
I’ve heard that once the runners hit the city limits the course is lined with cheering fans, bands, bagpipers, and runners who have already completed the trek. Folks call out numbers of those who look as tho they might be flagging and run alongside of them to give them heart. They are offered water, fruit, the occasional beer and bathrooms. A train delivers racers to the start, comes back to town to load up fans, and then follows the elite runners on a track that mirrors the course.
The night before runners and their families and anyone else for that matter can carb up at the Spaghetti Feed. Cooking starts on Tuesday for the Friday event. Mountains of food are consumed, served by volunteers and staff from Grandma’s Restaurant.
The race ends in Canal Park, the beautiful area by Duluth’s famous lift bridge. Grandma’s restaurant serves food and drinks of all kinds in huge tents, rain or shine. Dance bands play and runners and their families celebrate good finish times or commiserate over bad ones. It is truly a celebration of healthy life styles, supporting families, loving friends, and general good will.
Most Duluthians give up the ability to move around in the canal park, lake walk and downtown areas with a smile. They open their homes to runners and their families and make resolutions that they, too, will run next year. Many civic organizations get a chance to earn some money for their group by helping in beer tents, food venues, medical tents, transportation and volunteering along the course. Family reunions, celebrations of a life lost too early and memories of long-time runners are in the air. Organizations to find a cure for cancer, heart disease, lung disease, multiple sclerosis, pancreatic cancer and others are there in force. It is a huge, crazy, seemingly out-of-control party where there were no shootings, no racial epithets, no violence…just good healthy sport and a lot of Minnesota Nice. Join us next year!
Click here to go to the Grandma’s Marathon site for more information.