Overall: My general overall impression and view of this race is amazing. Small city (even though Duluth is not that small) vibe, with a large marathon attitude. It could not have been more well organized. Everything that you want from a marathon can be found at Grandma’s Marathon. From the expo, to the aid stations, everything ran smooth.

Marathon Sign-Up: Make sure to do this early. Registration for 2018 opens on October 1st, 2017. Do not wait around for the winter to decide. The race is limited in registration, it always fills up, and you do not want to miss it. Also, do not miss out on the lodging accommodations. Duluth, MN is limited when it comes to lodging. Make sure you have it early.

Expo: The expo is good, not great. It is in the big convention center in Canal Park. There is parking but it can get very busy. The expo has the essentials but it won’t take you longer than 10-15 minutes to walk the whole thing. Attached to the expo is the bib pick-up and the pasta feed. The volunteers are very helpful.

Pre-Race: I stayed in a hotel just outside of Duluth and it had shuttles that brought me to the starting line. I believe that every hotel, motel, campsite, and dorms have shuttles that will bring the runners to the start. The starting line had plenty of bathrooms, but they were not organized very well. The lines were huge and took forever. I suggest getting there earlier than later. There were no corrals, but there were pacers starting with 3:05:00. Race started exactly at 7:45am.

The Course: You start out in Two Harbors and run end-to-end into Duluth’s Canal Park. The course runs down Lake Superior on a paved road. The views are absolutely beautiful. There is little shade, so if it is a warm sunny day, you must prepare for that. Running down the lake, you make your way into the city of Duluth. The spectator crowds are scattered and slim until you get into the city. The course is definitely fast and favor those who are looking to PR.

Post-Race: You finish in Canal Park. There are a ton of spectators there, and the finish line is very energetic. Once you finish, you are given a medal and a bottle of water. You walk through the finish line and get a T-Shirt and walk into an area with a ton of food. After the food, you make your way to an alphabetized meeting area to find your friends and family. From there you make your way to the after party. In the tents, there is food, beer and live music. It is filled with all the runners and their supporters. There is crazy awesome energy there and it feels great to celebrate with all the finishers.

I highly suggest this race. It was on my bucket list for many years and I am very happy that I was able to get it done. Now I am waiting for 2018 registration to open because I will be signing up for it again!