Grandma's Marathon started in 1977 with a few joggers who decided a run along the scenic North Shore, from Two Harbors to Duluth, would be a fun way to spend a June Saturday. About 150 runners agreed, most of them from the Northland.
Who could have imagined what that fun run would become?
Today, Grandma's is the nation's 13th-largest marathon, with 6,876 finishers a year ago. Elite runners from around the globe annually flock to Duluth for the cool lake breezes and for the chance to set an official world record. Those premier, world-class runners command much of the attention on Grandma's weekends, as well they should.
But Grandma's really is about the thousands of ordinary people inspired to train and to eat right and to get their bodies ready to endure 26.2 miles of pavement pounding. The marathon field fills quickly every year, including this year, with 8,377 signed up. The Garry Bjorklund Half-Marathon has 6,670 registrations, an increase from last year. And 25 wheelchair racers are expected to participate.
The marathon also is about the tens of thousands of spectators who line the course to urge on the athletes, and it's about the army of 4,500 volunteers who hand out water, operate clocks and perform myriad other tasks to make sure race day is flaw-free.
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Everyone involved fills the city with an excitement and an energy that, if harnessed, could out-stimulate any package Washington could ever deliver. The Twin Ports region serves as a grand host to a true mark-your-calendar community event. And for that we can all be proud.
