Duluth’s Grandma’s Marathon 2025 races filling at record pace

DULUTH – When registration opened Tuesday night for next year’s Grandma’s Marathon, the destination race along Minnesota’s North Shore, there were 7,500 hopefuls queued up and ready to commit to the mileage.

It made for long wait times for some runners who were logged in for up to two hours, though some cruised through the process in under 20 minutes, according to race officials. It also made for a record-setting entry pace. The Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon had sold out in less than 18 hours. The William A. Irvin 5K could also sell out by the end of the day.

“We had over 11,000 signed up in the first five hours — more than we’ve ever had before,” according to Zach Schneider, the event’s marketing director, who added that servers were also running slowly on opening night. “It was the perfect storm. People had to exercise a little patience.”

Grandma’s Marathon and the half-marathon are scheduled for June 21, 2025. The 5K is June 20.

For those considering the challenge, an entry in the full marathon will be the easiest to secure, with more than 5,000 spots still available at mid-morning.

Schneider said a lot of runners took up the sport during the pandemic and, combined with decent weather the past few years, Grandma’s Marathon has consistently filled fast.

“We know our race depends so much on word-of-mouth,” he said. “When we get good weather, people go back and tell family and friends.”

Last year, the half-marathon hit capacity in 100 hours. This year’s quick fill-up is second only to 2018 when the race went from a lottery sign-up to first come, first served.