In the Beginning

Grandma's Marathon began in 1977 when a group of local runners planned a scenic road race from Two Harbors to Duluth, Minnesota. There were just 150 participants that year, but organizers knew they had discovered something special. The marathon received its name from the Duluth-based group of famous Grandma's restaurants-its first major sponsor. The level of sponsorship with the restaurants has changed, but the race has retained its name. Grandma's Marathon is now a self-governed nonprofit organization and a world-ranked race drawing more than 9,000 participants from across the globe each June.