Be ready to rock to the music. I am not a headphone wearer, and I suggest that you leave the headphones at home for this one as well.

The race Expo is the day before the race. The expo is setup in a super unique way. You walk in, get your bib, follow the flow and pick up your shirt, and then you enter the first part of the general expo. This is the Brooks area. It is like a pop-up store. They were doing running style evaluations and they had everything on sale. After the Brooks store, you entered the general expo. Here there were about 15-25 vendors but they were all the ones that you need. It was a new layout that I haven't experienced because you were forced to walk through the whole expo.

Denver is a chilly place so be ready for that in the morning. We were able to find street parking about 5 blocks away so i definitely suggestion going that route rather than paying a bunch for parking. They had everything you need prior to the race. There was a bag check area, a lot of toilets, area to warm up, and a medic center. The starting chute gets packed quickly, but they allow you to jump into your corral as the race starts.

The race was ass fun as can be. There was a band or DJ pretty much every mile. There was plenty of entertainment through out the entire race. There were multiple cheer sections and there was plenty of spectators through out the entire race. There was at least 6 water stops and they had a station around mile 8 that was giving away fuel gummies. The course was not as hilly as people would expect, and most hills were fairly low grade so I wouldn't worry too much about it. You get great views of the city, mountains and the park. You finish where you started and it is a pretty energetic finish line.

The finish village is pretty great. There was plenty of food to grab after the race. The medic tent was right at the finish line so if you were a little banged up, you were able to pop in there. In the finishing area, there were food trucks, free beer, great band, and a handful of vendors as well. This is definitely a post race area that you want to hang out in.

This race was a fun one! I run in Minneapolis every day and all the time I wish that i can run down the street to avoid all of the pedestrians. Well this race makes that wish come true. The race closes down one of the main roads in Downtown Minneapolis. Running down Hennepin Ave is pretty much awesome!

The race runs through downtown Minneapolis and ends in the iconic St Anthony Main area. Starting at the Basilica near Loring Park, making its way through downtown via Hennepin Avenue, taking a loop through North Loop, and finally crossing the Stone Arch Bridge. The finish line is right on Main St, in St Anthony Main area.

The starting line is a bit of a cluster. There are a lot of people shoved in a corral that does not span the entire street. Also, the pace groups were divided via a rope that volunteers were holding but there were no instructions on what to do when the gun went off. There was an aid station about half way through the race. There were plenty of volunteers to make sure your are going the right way and cheering you on. At the finish line, there were a ton of photographers and there was water, sports drink, pretzels, bananas, and an ice cold towel.

The swag was just a finisher T, but there was an after party with FREE BEER FOR RUNNERS, food, a live band, and a bunch of awesome vendors. The entire race was a PRO but here are two things to consider: 1. the starting line nonsense, 2. the course was about .20 - .25 mils long.

I would say that this was a fun mid-week, night time race!

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!

I ran this marathon with a huge desire to PR. I trained for it, worked hard for it and mentally prepped for it. But I knew that the course can make or break that. This race did not disappoint! The course is extremely flat and speed friendly. There are plenty of water stops and volunteers are everywhere you look. The pacers are spread out by 5min so it is easy to find who you want to run with. The expo before the race is alright. Very well organized and has all the essentials but it will not blow you away. You run through the University of Illinois and the surrounding areas.

Pre-Race Weekend: One of the great things about this race is the pre-race communication. they get you from all angles. Their social media is on point and they do a great job send emails with relevant information rather than sponsorship spam. Right before the weekend, they emailed out the race weekend guides. Those were the absolute best. Everything you could ever think of was in there.

Race Weekend Expo: The expo was kind of what you would expect from a race in a non-metropolitan area. Small but everything you could think of was there. All the last minute gear and gels and food was there for purchase. There are a ton of volunteers that pointed you in the right direction and everyone of them had an answer to my questions. Personally, I would skip the pasta party. I am never a big fan of those and I can be a pretty picky eater when it comes race time.

Marathon: The marathon started at the University of Illinois. Once again, the volunteers killed it! They were very helpful and informative. Before the race there was free bagels and coffee. There were plenty of portable bathrooms and a large parking lot to warm up in. Also, the bag drop was close to the starting line so that you didn't have to run around. Like I mentioned, the course is super flat and it runs through the University of Illinois and the surrounding neighborhoods. There is one part in the first half of the marathon where it gets really packed because you run on a park trail, so just keep an eye out for it. There are plenty of water stations, about every 2 miles, but they were lacking on the bathroom situation on the course. Also, I did not see too many aid stations, but I was not looking for them. You end the race by running into the University of Illinois football stadium and out of the tunnel on to the field. It is a cool experience.

After The Race: After you finish you are given an awesome medal, a water, and a blanket. From the field you make your way into the concourse where there is a ton of food. From pizza to pasta to fruit and sports drinks. Load up on food, pick up your gear, and head outside to enjoy an awesome block party and a nice cold beer.

Overall Thoughts: I think that this was a great race and weekend. Everything is organized very well and the course is so fast! Circle the date for next year and write PR right next to it!

What a beautiful November running event! I am sure that November 13th, 2016 was a weirdly warm event, but that weather was bananas. Take great weather and beautiful views and you have yourself a good race.

PROS: Like I said, the race is very beautiful. You start and end at the capitol and you run through an arboretum, the city, down the lake, through the University of Wisconsin, and through some very expensive neighborhoods. It was very easy to get your bib during the expo, there were some booths and things that you could purchase for the race. The morning of the race was well organized. There was plenty of parking, toilets, a bag drop and water if needed. At the end of the race you got a sweat medal, a long sleeve tech shirt, and a bag of food from Penara. During the race there was plenty of hydration stations and there was multiple stations that gave out either bananas or GU. From the start to about mile 13 you run through winding roads. Between 13 and 20, there is not much to see. There is a long straight section and then you hit the neighborhoods. Then 20 to the finish is once again scenic and pleasant. Best of all, YOU GET FREE PICTURES!!!!

CONS: The course is very hill intensive. If you train on completely flat ground, then this might be challenging. The expo was nothing special. Just the basic bib pick up and a handful of vendors selling running gear.The starting line is very small and a bit chaotic. Other than that, there was nothing to complain about.

I stayed at an AirBNB which was great and there was plenty of parking and it's super easy to get around Madison. I would do it again and more importantly recommend the race. If you miss out on Twin Cities or Chicago, this is a great option.