The first comment I read here deserves a rebuttal - this is a phenomenal race and a world-class event. The spectators are spread out during the first 18 miles, but you won't confuse it for a training run. There are plenty of spectators and entertainment throughout the whole course, and some big crowds along the way. The organization of this race is terrific; just give yourself plenty of time to drop off your sweat bag because it gets crowded. The course offers some great views of Lake Superior, and it would be great to see it the whole way. Regardless, a terrific race for anyone looking for a world-class marathon experience, from food to crowds to scenery - and a finish that will make every finisher feel like a rock star.

One of the best marathon cities I have been to. I would consider moving out there if it weren't for the winters. This is not a PR course though. Rolling hills the entire race. The sports drink they offered was tough to get down. Great expo, great spaghetti dinner, great people. I would certainly go back if I weren't trying to set a PR.

Duluth is beautiful, but this course is mainly run along a tree-lined road with infrequent views of Lake Superior. There are very few spectators for the first 18 miles and the road is canted. To make matters worse, you cannot listen to music on this boring course. If you want to run in Minnesota, do Twin Cities.

I had heard so much about Grandma's, and what a great race it is, and I have to say, it did not disappoint! The course is nice and easy with a few rolling hills, beautiful scenery along Lake Superior, and great fans and spectators. The water stops were all well stocked, and they provided ice for the runners, which was AWESOME!! The finish line was like a party... tons of food and fun. It was great! I do have two complaints, though. First, the water stops were only every other mile, and it got to be a little difficult toward the end of the run, with the heat. Second, the sports drink they use, Ultima, is DISGUSTING. It tastes like crushed vitamins, and gave me terrible stomach cramps. If they switched to Gatorade and had a few more water stops, it would be a PERFECT race!

This was my second marathon, but the first one I finished. :)

I drove up from the Twin Cities on Friday afternoon, the day before the race. Traffic was crazy getting into the packet pick-up and expo area. I highly recommend parking on the other side of the interstate in town, and walking through the skyway to the facility. We arrived around 5 p.m., so it was very busy with people arriving after work and hitting the pasta feed.

Volunteers at packet pick-up were very friendly and enthusiastic. The expo had dozens of exhibitors and it was a bit crowded, but what do you expect? It's a major race/event.

You start about 25 miles north of town. There are PLENTY of restrooms at the starting area. I arrived about 45 minutes before the start and had no wait. Nobody was lining up outside the corner restrooms (they are in "L" formations facing inward) so I just walked right up to one. Unfortunately there was no hand sanitizer in the restroom, but there was plenty at an event tent nearby. At the same tent there were other items that you might have forgotten or needed last-minute.

There was music playing in the starting area, and then there was the national anthem, complete with a flyby by jets. Pretty cool.

We were near the rear of the pack at the start, and crossed the starting line over 6 minutes after the gun. The course is great, with the lake off to your left. Most runners ran along the left (east) side of the road to get shade off the trees. It was another cooker this year. Crowd support was sparse for the first few miles (as expected) but really picked up as you get into town.

At mile 6, I saw a wedding proposal - and acceptance! - with two runners. Amazing considering they had 20 miles to go! I gave Al Franken a high-five at mile 9.
Water stops were plentiful and friendly at every mile, starting around 19. They hand out water, Ultima, sponges, and ice at most stops. I trained with water only as I've heard bad things about the taste of Ultima. Gels and electrolyte supplements got me through just fine, with water.

My back and shoulders started to hurt late in the race. I stopped at a medical station and they gave me some ibuprofen, which helped. The support throughout was terrific.

The last mile seemed to go on forever, with many twists and turns, making you think you're at the finish a few times before you are.

Runners' finish area was nice, with a good variety of food and drink. The ice cream was the best ever! It's easy to hook up with your friends afterward at the meeting area, arranged alphabetically by the first letter of your last name just outside the runners' area.

I've read many other reviews of this race, and the primary criticisms are the room rates and the taste of Ultima. If you were a hotel owner and you could sell out your hotel at $250 a night for the weekend with no effort, why wouldn't you? Runners should factor this expense into their planning when signing up for Grandma's.

As far as the Ultima, see if you can choke it down during your training. If you can't, figure out a different approach. Water and supplements can get you through.

Overall, I'd highly recommend Grandma's. It gets a bit pricey with lodging, but any event involving travel has this impact.

This race is definitely worth the trip (even with the price-gouging hotels). The community really knows how to put on a great marathon. I loved the spectator support!! Even Al Franken!! Kudos to the race organizers - from the expo, to the bus tour of the race course, to the shuttle buses to and from the race. Overall this was a fantastic race!!

Warning to future first-time Grandma's marathoners - as previous posters indicated, this is not a nice, flat course. It is a rolling course, so train accordingly. Also, the humidity was a factor.

Everything we had heard about Grandma's turned out to be true! The entire event - from the expo through the race and the party afterward - was terrific. Great community support and very organized. A fair course, and all the memorabilia at the expo was top-notch. I was surprised at how many spectators cheered us on. Loved all the aid stations and the yellow balloons marking the mile splits. It is expensive to stay at the area hotels - but we did enjoy our time in Duluth and plan to come back! Thanks to all the organizers and volunteers - we appreciated all your efforts.

I would definitely give this race 4 stars, reserving 1 star because of the anti-MP3 stance they take. I could go on about how ridiculous I find it that someone tells me that I can't listen to my own music on a race that, on a good day, is going to take ME at least 4:45, but suffice to say I would not have registered if Kim hadn't wanted to run it. I'm so glad she did because Grandma's definitely ranks as one of my favorite marathons in the 12 I've run. It wasn't overwhelmingly big like NYC (and I loved NYC), nor was it lonely like Seattle. It's like Baby Bear's porridge... just right. The course support is amazing, and the community totally gets behind the runners. There were signs welcoming runners all over Duluth and Proctor. The newspapers had articles two days leading up to the race (big articles, too... not like the 25-word blurb I saw on the Seafair Marathon that I'll be running Sunday. Thanks, Seattle. You really know how to make runners feel valued.) The paper also had a HUGE section on the marathon with EVERY single finisher listed in it the day after the race. The hotels went out of their way to make us feel welcomed, which isn't always the case. We were even offered the opportunity to reserve a room for the following year. The transportation was outstanding to the beginning of the course (bus left right from our hotel). The festivities were well planned and organized. The restaurants the day before all catered to runners (I think I counted at LEAST four carbo-load "feeds" in the restaurants we walked past) both before and after.

You know what the BEST part of a marathon is, though? The people you meet on the route. More than once we'd pass people on the side of the road (over 200 didn't finish) and someone near us (or us) would ask if they were okay. At one point this happened, and I said to Kim, "This is why I love marathons. People are always so GOOD to each other on marathons!" The lady who I was referring to agreed and we had a nice chat then, and again at mile 26 when she said to her husband (who was running her in), "If I mention doing Grandma's again next year, you have my permission to slap me... I can't take this heat!" I replied, "Oh you know you'll be talking about it within two months."

"Yeah, you're probably right... but this heat!"

I invited her to join us in Seattle where not only would she NOT run in heat, but she might get rain, wind, or even SNOW and LOTS of hills with zero cheering spectators!

Some of my favorite moments on the race:

1. The F-16s flying over. I love the sound of loud planes and I always find things like that very moving.
2. The kindness of the people in the medical tent, not just the volunteers but other runners who were consoling each other for having to drop out.
3. The homemade wrought iron dinosaurs in front of a house, one of which spewed flames. This family was busily setting up a water stop for the runners, so I got a chance to tell the guy who COOL I thought his dinos were!
4. The many MANY times people yelled my name on the route, especially the drunken frat boys chanting my name over and over again. I'm telling you, you gotta put your name on your shirt! It makes SUCH a difference when you're staring down the wall to hear someone say, "You can do it, Tory!"
5. The line of trolls on the ground "for luck."
6. The yard filled with flamingo statues. What was THAT all about?
7. The many people with sprinklers, hoses, and even water guns!
8. Al Franken giving me a HUGE hug and a kiss on the route! I love Al Franken!
9. The wind coming off the water providing us with much needed heat relief!
10. Running with my sister. That was the best. We're going to have to do that more often! (Plus she "gets me" and doesn't think I'm insane at all with all this marathon stuff.)

I am working my way to the 50 state marathon club and I picked Grandma's for all of the good input. I have to admit that I was not impressed.

Good-
- The water stops were well stocked with water and helpful volunteers.
- The course was pretty easy with just gently rolling hills.
- The busing to get you to the start was very well organized.

Bad-
- The hotels hold you hostage by the price. I was lucky and was able to get a deal at an old Super 8 for "only" 130 per night with a 2-night minimum.
- The expo was small and very cramped.
- What was up with the shirt? It was very nice, but why a cotton instead of a tech shirt? Why did you have to finish to get one? The shirt is for participating; the MEDAL is for finishing.
-With such a hot day, having water every other mile was not enough.
- Being point-to-point, there was really not much in the way for entertainment - with the exception of a string quartet that was fantastic!

I am not trying to bash Grandma's, as on the whole it was an okay marathon, but for me it just didn't live up to the hype. There are just a lot of other marathons out there that give you a lot more for the money.

-How well this is organized cannot be over-stated.
-I really appreciated the ice at each water station.
-Course is flat.
-I think they should opt for an earlier start or earlier date. This is my third year running - temps were high each year.
-Prices for hotels and even dorm rooms are ridiculous.
-Will run again next year.