Grandma's Marathon
Grandma's Marathon race day weather
Warm finish, adjust pace wisely
Runners will face a comfortable start at 57°F, gradually warming to 70°F by the finish. With a max wind of 8 mph, it will feel light, but the crosswinds during the first and final segments may affect pace. Given the average humidity at 69%, competitors should start conservatively and ensure hydration, especially in the warmer conditions towards the end.
The finish is 24 miles from the start, so we look at it at 2 points, not just the start line. In a typical year, at 9:00/mi, you start at 57° and finish around 11:40 AM in 70°; typical start-line conditions say 61° then.
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Grandma's Marathon route and elevation
The Grandma's Marathon course has about 466 ft (142 m) of climbing and 582 ft (177 m) of descent, a net drop of about 116 ft (35 m). It is flatter than 85% of the marathon courses racecast.io has mapped, measured by what the hills cost in time. It has no steep miles: no mile climbs more than 55 ft (17 m).
Biggest climbs
- Miles 18.9 to 21: climbs about 65 ft (19 m).
- Miles 22 to 22.5: climbs about 55 ft (17 m).
What the hills cost
The hills change finish times by less than 0.2% here, under half a minute for a 4:00 runner.
Hills only, priced mile by mile on the course map. The pace calculator above adds the race-day weather.
Even-effort splits for a 3:30, 4:00 or 4:30 finish
| Mile | Climb | Descent | 3:30 | 4:00 | 4:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 ft | 29 ft | 7:57 | 9:05 | 10:13 |
| 2 | 21 ft | 48 ft | 7:53 | 9:01 | 10:09 |
| 3 | 12 ft | 42 ft | 7:53 | 9:01 | 10:08 |
| 4 | 18 ft | 15 ft | 8:01 | 9:09 | 10:18 |
| 5 | 10 ft | 27 ft | 7:56 | 9:04 | 10:12 |
| 6 | 49 ft | 51 ft | 8:00 | 9:08 | 10:17 |
| 7 | 6 ft | 7 ft | 8:00 | 9:09 | 10:17 |
| 8 | 34 ft | 10 ft | 8:12 | 9:22 | 10:32 |
| 9 | 49 ft | 35 ft | 8:07 | 9:17 | 10:27 |
| 10 | 12 ft | 74 ft | 7:45 | 8:52 | 9:59 |
| 11 | 31 ft | 4 ft | 8:14 | 9:24 | 10:34 |
| 12 | 47 ft | 52 ft | 7:59 | 9:08 | 10:16 |
| 13 | 7 ft | 25 ft | 7:56 | 9:03 | 10:12 |
| 14 | 17 ft | 11 ft | 8:03 | 9:13 | 10:21 |
| 15 | 26 ft | 24 ft | 8:01 | 9:10 | 10:19 |
| 16 | 18 ft | 24 ft | 7:59 | 9:07 | 10:15 |
| 17 | 19 ft | 10 ft | 8:04 | 9:13 | 10:23 |
| 18 | 31 ft | 9 ft | 8:11 | 9:21 | 10:31 |
| 19 | 17 ft | 43 ft | 7:54 | 9:02 | 10:10 |
| 20 | 27 ft | 0 ft | 8:14 | 9:24 | 10:34 |
| 21 | 36 ft | 16 ft | 8:09 | 9:19 | 10:30 |
| 22 | 8 ft | 28 ft | 7:56 | 9:04 | 10:11 |
| 23 | 51 ft | 46 ft | 8:02 | 9:10 | 10:19 |
| 24 | 18 ft | 23 ft | 7:58 | 9:08 | 10:16 |
| 25 | 10 ft | 26 ft | 7:57 | 9:04 | 10:12 |
| 26 | 13 ft | 37 ft | 7:54 | 9:02 | 10:10 |
| Last 0.2 | 0 ft | 3 ft | 1:45 | 2:00 | 2:15 |
Explore the Grandma's Marathon course with the weather and your pace along the route, or compare it with other races.
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About the Grandma's Marathon
Grandma's Marathon is an annual road race held each June in Duluth, Minnesota, in the United States. The course runs point-to-point from the city of Two Harbors on Scenic Route 61 and continues along Lake Superior into the city of Duluth. The finish is located in Canal Park, near Grandma's Restaurant, which is next to the highly visible Aerial Lift Bridge. Wikipedia
Race weekend
Tips from Runners
From 27 race reports by runners: what worked for them, not official race information.
Climb Lemon Drop Hill by effort and let the pace slip a little. A few runners who did that barely noticed it and used the crest as the signal to push for the finish.
Don't lock onto a pace group from the gun. Several runners in 2023 and 2024 said their pacer ran well ahead of schedule in the early miles out of Two Harbors, so check your own watch.
If Duluth hotels are full, look at the university dorms in Duluth and Superior. Several runners stayed there or caught start shuttles from UMD.
Get on one of the first buses up the shore. The ride takes a while, and runners on later buses met long porta potty lines at the start.
Practice downhill running before race day, and stay in control on the steep drop toward the freeway overpass in the last miles. Tired quads can buckle there.
Plan your fueling around aid stations every two miles starting at mile 3, then every mile from 20 on. They serve water and Powerade.
- Climb Lemon Drop Hill by effort and let the pace slip a little. A few runners who did that barely noticed it and used the crest as the signal to push for the finish.
- Don't lock onto a pace group from the gun. Several runners in 2023 and 2024 said their pacer ran well ahead of schedule in the early miles out of Two Harbors, so check your own watch.
- If Duluth hotels are full, look at the university dorms in Duluth and Superior. Several runners stayed there or caught start shuttles from UMD.
- Get on one of the first buses up the shore. The ride takes a while, and runners on later buses met long porta potty lines at the start.
- Practice downhill running before race day, and stay in control on the steep drop toward the freeway overpass in the last miles. Tired quads can buckle there.
- Plan your fueling around aid stations every two miles starting at mile 3, then every mile from 20 on. They serve water and Powerade.
Grandma's Marathon FAQ
When is the 2027 Grandma's Marathon?
Is the Grandma's Marathon a Boston Marathon Qualifier?
What is the time limit for the Grandma's Marathon?
What will the weather be like for the 2027 Grandma's Marathon?
What is the elevation gain of the Grandma's Marathon?
Is the Grandma's Marathon flat?
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Grandma's Marathon reviews and race reports
A scenic lakeshore point-to-point. Lemon Drop Hill gets the hype, but the downhills do more damage.
The North Shore road from Two Harbors — The race runs down the shore from Two Harbors on a wide, rolling highway with Lake Superior beside you. Runners loved the lake views, and one said you can see Duluth from miles away. Crowds come in pockets until the city.
Lemon Drop Hill near mile 22 — Lemon Drop Hill is the climb everyone talks about, and many runners found it milder than its reputation. A 2023 runner said construction has trimmed it, though it still comes late. A 2021 runner with cramps said its half-mile length wrecked his pace.
The downhills into Duluth — A few runners said the descents hurt their legs more than the climbs did. One warned of a mile of gentle downhill right before Lemon Drop.
Superior Street and the Canal Park finish — Crowds get loud once the course reaches Duluth. One runner said the block-by-block run down Superior Street felt endless, and the finish winds through sharp turns around Canal Park.
Enjoyed stunning views and crowd support, felt strong to the finish
I realized I was having fun, and the views were amazing so I couldn't stop smiling through this whole stretch! I grabbed water at every aid station every 2 miles and got a couple sips in, I took gels at miles 15 and 19. My stomach felt a little heavy at this point but nothing that made me worried and I started to pick it up going into mile 20.
Formed a pack with fellow runners, enjoyed crowd energy despite rain.
The race started and instantly someone tripped, luckily most people avoided them and there wasn't a stampede. I tried to stay calm and stick to my plan of not going faster than 6:30 until the last 10K then seeing what I had left. When people began settling into their paces I asked around and found two other guys with similar goals and formed a pack while joking about the 6:51 pacer who sprinted by at what must've been 6:15 pace.
Lost in the beauty of the course, achieved a massive PR
I can't reiterate how gorgeous this race is. I frequently would close my eyes and smile. Feeling the pace, feeling the beautiful breeze off the lake, the amazing smells. I lost myself in the race.
Overcame early anxiety to maintain pace and enjoy the race
The first 10 miles just flew by. I did not feel the "rolling hill" at all, probably because my training was mostly done on "rollier" hills. It still felt like easy pace for me, unlike anything at all compared to the first race. I had to try hard to follow the tangent, as with a crowd I can't read ahead anymore.
Fell behind the 3hr pacer but held strong for a sub-3 finish
At the start of the race, my plan was to stay with the 3hr pacer until mile 18-20 then kick up the pace once we were in Duluth proper. The plan was going well until ~9.5 miles in. There is a solid downhill and I ended up getting a bit ahead of the group. I tried to pace mile 10 conservatively (6:55) to allow them to catch up, but they were still 20 yards behind me.