- Weather
- 55°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~5,000-6,000 runners
- Course
- Net downhill
- Elevation
- 100 ft gain · -2,560 ft net
High-speed downhill mountain descent
PR10Weather9Experience8
Mid-June · Midwest · Point-to-Point
Grandma's Marathon
Duluth, MN · Saturday, June 19, 2027
Named after Grandma's Saloon & Deli, the newly opened Duluth restaurant that put up the race's entire $600 budget in 1977 when no other local business would sponsor it. The course runs point-to-point along Lake Superior's North Shore into Duluth, net downhill and fast, with June timing that keeps a summer race cool.
Along Lake Superior; fast & cool
- Best for PR
- Boston Qualifier
- Scenic
Opens the race organizer's website
Typical start
54°
Cooler than 22% of U.S. marathons
Modeled historical conditions
Elevation gain
200ft
Flatter than 54% of races
Estimated total climb
Field size
9K
Larger than 96% of races
Estimated field
PR potential
9.7/10
Top 2%
Almanac model
Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.
Course profile
200 ft gain · -120 ft net
Net downhill course, point-to-point.
0510152026.2
Race-day weather
Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.
6 AM
46°
Start
54°
Midday
65°
ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk
Typical start sits at 54°F, good conditions.
Typical dew point 47°F, 22% chance of precipitation, wind around 10 mph. All modeled.
The bottom line
This is a course built to give time back.
Grandma's Marathon is a strong choice for a fast time on tired legs, and the route gives back elevation for most of the 26.2 miles. The tradeoff is your quads, which will feel the descent in the closing miles.
Why runners choose this race
A point-to-point course around Duluth, MN, that gives back elevation for most of the race.
The case for it
- PR attempts
- Boston qualification
- Runners who care about scenery
The tradeoffs
- No notable warnings in the data.
Course and logistics
- Course type
- Point-to-Point
- Surface
- Road
- Profile
- Net downhill
- Total gain
- 200 ft(estimated)
- Total loss
- 320 ft(estimated)
- Net elevation
- -120 ft(estimated)
- Field size
- ~9,000 runners(estimated)
- Crowd support
- Steady crowd support
- Entry
- Data coming soon
- Start / finish
- Start and finish in different locations
Race details
- Typical timing
- Mid-June
- Next confirmed date
- Saturday, June 19, 2027
- Region
- Midwest
- Editorial tier
- Featured
- Data last reviewed
- 2026-08-26
- Best for PR
- Boston Qualifier
- Scenic
- Point-to-point
- Net downhill
- Destination race
Similar races
Races with a comparable profile.
- Weather
- 41°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~5,000-6,000 runners
- Course
- Flat
- Elevation
- 200 ft gain
Top Midwest flat BQ race
PR10Weather9Experience8
- Weather
- 55°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~800 runners
- Course
- Net downhill
- Elevation
- 150 ft gain · -500 ft net
Historic fall foliage marathon
PR9Weather9Experience7