Review
I needed Minnesota one way or another! The other marathon in Minnesota is in Twin Cities in October
This was my 38rd state!
I flew out of Pittsburgh and flew straight to Minneapolis- St. Paul
I needed a rental car to drive up to Duluth! Of course this was the one busy weekend that most rental cars were used. I had to wait a bit longer than expected
I was given the option of an SUV or a small convertible, so I took the SUV
I got extremely lucky for this race because hotel rooms and AirBnBs sell out very quickly and are extremely expensive! For this race, a fellow marathoner posted in a marathon group on Facebook that he has an apartment near one of the bus pickup spots and he's willing to let a runner stay there during the weekend! I took a chance and it worked out very well since I only paid $50 a night!
As for going to the bus pickup spot, I was only a 6 minute drive away! We had to get to the bus pickup spot between 4:45-5:30, so I was actually able to take a nap on the bus!
We started north of Duluth (near Two Harbors) and runs along Scenic Highway 61. By running along this highway, we were able to run along Lake Superior for most of the race. We finished in downtown Duluth and in Canal Park!
The race had rolling hills, but it wasn't excessive! Additionally it was net downhill, so it was easy on the knees.
There were tons of spectators throughout the race, so I didn't feel alone
There were partiers once we were around mile 18! One stop had burritos, hotdogs, and tons of food, so I waited a few minutes to grab stuff to eat!
The weather was on the humid side, so I didn't fully enjoy the race. If it was nice and cooler, I would have been able to enjoy it much more!
This was a good race since the course is mostly flat and the weather is mostly in your favor!
I could see myself running the half marathon for this again
I can see people use this course to BQ and/or PR
Race Website: Grandma's Marathon
Expo and 5K
Marathon Race