The countdown is on as Grandma's Marathon returns to Duluth next weekend. And Grandma's Marathon looks to be another record-breaker this year.
"We've had record registration this year," says Marathon marketing and public relations director Zach Schneider. "Close to 23,000 people are signed up for either the marathon, the half marathon, or the 5K, which is the best registration year we've ever had. And we expect that to translate to being the most people we've ever had in Duluth."
Schneider says Grandma's Marathon continues to grow with registration selling out in record time this year - which adds to the pressure of making sure the weekend is a success and meets expectations.
Which is a great experience, you know, a great race, wonderful community hospitality, and we feel that responsibility to deliver on basically that promise that we made," Schneider explains.
A large number of volunteers is always needed to step up to make the weekend possible as well.
"That's part of what makes the Grandma's Marathon weekend experience special for a lot of people, is because the community kind of opens its arms and wraps its arms around people that are visiting us from all around the country and all around the world," says Schneider.
Those organizers and volunteers are already busy putting the finishing touches on the event.
"This is the exciting part of the year," Schneider said Friday. "This is where adrenaline kind of takes over and you get to start seeing a lot of familiar faces come back into town, people that help us get this thing up and running. This is the exciting part. This is the payoff not only for the participants who have been training for months and months and looking forward to this day. But we've been doing the same thing as organizers. We've been looking forward to this for a long, long time."
Started by a local group of runners in 1977, Grandma’s Marathon has grown from just 150 participants its first year to now one of the largest and best-known marathons in the country.
The race and events around it brings close to $21 million of economic impact to the region.
Grandma's Marathon Weekend runs June 19-21 and besides the races, there are special events including a health expo, an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner, plus plenty of live music all weekend at Bayfront Festival Park. The 49th annual Grandma's Marathon begins Saturday after 7:30 a.m. in Two Harbors and ends in Duluth's Canal Park.