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Jul 4, 2024

Grandma's Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Grandma's Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.5

Organization 4.7

Spectators 4.4

Number of comments: 298 [displaying comments 191 to 201]

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A. P. from Long Beach, CA (6/21/2006) "Great Race" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Grandma's Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Although this was my first marathon (and the heat and humidity definitely affected my race), I have participated in a few half marathons and I've never seen as many spectators on a course. Yes, in the beginning of the race there aren't spectators lined up on the side of the road, but at every highway outlet tons of people are there in pockets to cheer you on. The entire city comes out for the race, and they cheer for everyone. The course is beautiful and relatively flat. Lemon Drop Hill is the only major hurdle, and it barely qualifies as a hill. The aid stations were well-stocked and frequent, and spectators had sprinklers and hoses to keep the runners cooled off. I think this race is something special, and I'll be back next year - hopefully with cooler temps and a better finishing time!
A. M. from Chicago (6/21/2006) "Good race, hot day, want Gatorade" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Grandma's Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The race day weather was threatening (possible storms, heat, etc.), though the storms stayed away until after the race but the temps and humidity were tough. Course was interesting but prevented many spectators/supporters until later in the race. Seems to be more hilly than advertised (maybe not for Duluthians but definitely for Chicagoans). Bus to start was on time and efficient (parked at Miller Hill Mall). Hotels were pricey and tough to find but Duluth is a small town and this is a big marathon so it's to be expected. Start area, water stops and finish line were extremely well organized. I really like the t-shirt being given to finishers at the end. Good experience but (and I know they hear it from everyone) the Ultima Replenisher (I believe it was running shoe flavored) needs to be changed to Gatorade.
N. P. from Michigan (6/21/2006) "Great race in a great town" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Grandma's Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 First of all, Duluth did a great job hosting this marathon. The spaghetti dinner was nice, and I would recommend it. The start area was a little crowded, but you have to expect that with 7000 or so runners. I found the course to be quite boring for the first 21 miles until entering Duluth, where the fans were really energized. It was amazing to see how many people packed the sidewalks of downtown Duluth, especially on such a hot and humid day. Thanks for the support! Also, there are some minor hills on the course, so don't expect it to be totally flat (Lemon Drop Hill was a joke - I thought it would be tough!). The only drawbacks to the race are the Ultima replensher - it needs to be replaced with Gatorade - and the Cliff Shot, which should be switched with GU. The finish area was great, and I enjoyed the free massage. The medal was average, but the age group award was really nice - it makes it worth it to run fast! Overall it was a great experience and I will be back next year.
N. F. from Madison, WI (6/21/2006) "Great first-time experience" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Grandma's Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon and I had a blast. The city was great, the expo was cool. The weather was rough but I am happy with my time. The race definitely got me hooked on marathoning.
S. K. from Muskego, WI (6/21/2006) "Solid experience...but a few issues" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 4-5 Grandma's Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 This was my fifth straight Grandma's Marathon and I have I always spoken highly (at least to my friends) about the quality of this race. However, I have begun to notice more issues which bear addressing but first, here's a summary of my experience. Packet pick-up was a breeze (as usual). We stayed at the dorms (which is the best bargain in town despite the mandatory two-night stay) and the bus ride to the start is extremely well organized (despite long lines I only waited maybe 5 minutes to board a bus). Due to the high temps and stifling humidity this was not a runner-friendly marathon (at least this year). Temps were in the high sixties in the start (prior years were in the low fifties) with fog and nasty humidity. Not much the organizers can do about the weather, though. This was the also the first time I'd ever seen an ambulance on the course. Newspaper reports stated that by 11:00 (3 1/2 hours into the race that more than a 100 people were given medical attention and seven were taken to the hospital). The course itself is flat-to-rolling with one decent-sized hill at mile 22. Most of the race takes place in the country but a suprisingly large number fans come out to cheer you on. From about mile 19 to the finish you plenty of crowd support to help get you to the finish line. The aid stations are extremely well-staffed and I give plenty of credit to the volunteers who always seemed to be smiling. The finish line crew was great and very attentive to the runners-in-distress (I, fortunately, was not one of them). The finisher medal was very nice and I thought the t-shirt was the best one yet. However, there were a couple of issues that gave me pause this year. Issue one is the use of Ultima as the sports drink of choice. Runners have complained for years (and on this very website as well) about how bad Ultima is. It concerns me that race management has refused to listen. Issue two involves the finisher shirt. The day after the marathon on the Grandma's website it was posted that they had long-sleeved finisher t-shirts for sale?!?! If they were available why weren't they given out instead of short-sleeves??? Although I loved the color scheme and design, I found it very disturbing to see long-sleeved finisher shirts being sold... especially after having seen much smaller marathons give out finisher windbreakers or sweatshirts. And what is the point of completing a marathon when anybody can BUY a finisher shirt? Does Grandma's now only care about how much money they make? I'm beginning to wonder.... Overall, this is still a great marathon and a great experience and I will still continue to recommend it... for now.
P. W. from Twin Cities, Minnesota (6/20/2006) "Great First Marathon Course" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Grandma's Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, and a great one to start with. The course is relatively level and overall slopes downhill, except for Lemon Drop Hill at mile 22, which you can see (and anticipate) from a mile away. The part I enjoyed most was the HUGE number of participants (over 6900 finishers this year), which gets you pumped up at the start and carries you through to the end. Because of the large number of participants (large number of half marathoners as well), the finish area is very crowded, so be patient. Water and medical support are plentiful, and volunteers were everywhere. Weather this year was very hot and humid, but I am told the conditions are often ideal. The course along Lake Superior is fabulous! If you don't like crowds, consider staying off the beaten path at one of the colleges. My family accompanied me, we stayed at St. Scholastica and got a suite with two bedrooms, one bath, living area, and kitchen for about the price of a hotel room downtown. One drawback: no A/C. Great race, give it a try!
L. R. from Florida (6/20/2006) "Great spectators; Great support" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Grandma's Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Negatives: The course is NOT mostly flat and downhill. It is anything but! I expected to see a whole lot more of the lake, but most of the race is not run along side the lake. The hotels are full a year in advance and they charge way too much. You have to pay for parking both at packet pick-up and on race day. The Ultima is awful. Need more sponges, those of us running a 4 hr plus marathon did not have them for most of the race as the aid stations ran out. Have to pay $20 for a long sleeve finishers shirt, why not give out two shirts (the hotels can afford to pay for the shirts with the profits they made on the runners and families)? Positives: Great mile markers, those ballons are super! The AmericInn at Moose Lake, though we had to pay $130+ for a room and drive 45 mins to the race, is Super. I would stay there again. Not many spectators early on, but when we needed them the second half, they were there! The ice was most appreciated this year and the aid station workers were great.
Z. P. from Minneapolis, MN / Madison, WI (6/20/2006) "great experience, despite the heat" (about: 2006) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, and I really enjoyed it. I was hoping to keep a 10 min/mi pace, but due to the weather, and other small events, I fell slightly behind this goal. The spectators are great, yelling encouraging words as you run by. Beautiful scenery, great organization. The only downsides I had was the bussing to the startline. I got to convention center at 5:30am, and didn't get to the start line until 7:20 (10 minutes before the marathon). I know a lot of people chose to take the buses, and that there were a lot of volunteer drivers, but the fact that it takes the buses at least 30 minutes to get to the start requires some more resources. Also, when we got to the start, even though the buses were standing still for 5 minutes, we had to stay in the bus until we got to the official dropoff point, leaving only a few minutes to go to the bathroom (which had super long lines, despite hundreds of portapotties). I don't mean to complain too much, I really commend the organizers, but perhaps some more porta potties would help. I will definitely be back next year, and would recommend it to both beginners and experienced runners (based on comments I heard from other runners)!!
M. B. from Santa Cruz CA (6/20/2006) "GO Grandma's!" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Grandma's Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Definately 'World Class Event, Small Town Charm'. It wasn't Grandma's fault it was too HOT. I agree with the runner who said the Ultima has to go! Yuck! We also stayed in the dorms and thought they were great. Bus got us there 45 minutes early-perf. Fabulous, best volunteers! Beautiful course! I will be back! THANKS DULUTH!
E. W. from Ames, Iowa (6/20/2006) "A Mixed Bag" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Grandma's Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my second marathon and I was hoping to do at least 4:30. Sadly, the heat and humidity killed me and I was lucky I finished at 4:56! Needless to say, I was very disappointed but I guess the weather can't be helped. Overall, I thought the race was very well organized. The helium balloon mile markers and water signs were so key. Going one mile at a time was the only way I was able to finish and seeing those yellow balloons from a distance motivated me to keep going. Even though I guess technically it is a flat course it sure did seem like there were a lot of low-grade hills to me! The start was pretty bad. Our bus got us there 1/2 hour before the race started and I immediately got on line for a porta-potty. However, by the time I was next in line it was 7:31 and the race started at 7:30. They need more potties. I thought the expo and the finish were way too crowded. I wanted to collapse after I finished and it was wall to wall people...very smothering! The spaghetti dinner was well worth it. The people in Duluth were very nice, though, and the spectators, when they were there, were great. One thing I think they should control better is the way the hotels jack up their prices and make you stay for two nights. We stayed at a low-middle of the line hotel for $170 a night!! Ridiculous! Overall my experience was disappointing but I can't really blame it on the race itself. I would recommend it but you better hope for cool weather! P.S. If you want a spectacular breakfast, try the Amazing Grace cafe! Sooooo Good!

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