FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grandma's Marathon Enjoys Record Registration Numbers on 2024 Opening Day
Close to 10,000 Participants Signed Up on October 1
(DULUTH, MINN.) --- Close to 10,000 people signed up for the 2024 Grandma's
Marathon weekend in the opening five hours, making it the organization's
largest-ever first day of registration.
"Each year on October 1, we're humbled by how much people care about our
race and our community," Marketing & Public Relations Director Zach
Schneider said, "but this year especially it's been so wonderful to see the
thousands of people who want to be here with us in June."
9,450 people registered for the 2024 race weekend on October 1 between 7:00
p.m. and midnight, which is nearly 4,000 more than last year's total. With
last year being the second-fastest sellout in the organization's history,
hopes are high moving forward that this may be another banner year for
Grandma's Marathon.
"It's always an exciting day and focuses our minds a lot on what needs to
happen between now and June," Schneider said, "but we do always stop to
take a moment and consider how fortunate we are that this many people want
to come to Duluth and be part of this. It's special on so many levels."
With the already strong start to registration, organizers do recommend
people sign up soon if they want to participate in next year's races,
especially the always popular Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon. That event has
a capacity of 8,000 and as of early morning on October 2 had already
surpassed 6,000 registered participants for 2024.
The 2024 Grandma's Marathon weekend will be held June 20-22, 2024.
ABOUT GRANDMA'S MARATHON
Grandma's Marathon began in 1977 when a group of local runners planned a
scenic road race from Two Harbors to Duluth, Minnesota. After seeing just
150 participants that year, the race weekend has now grown into one of the
largest in the United States and welcomes more than 20,000 participants for
its three-race event each June.
The race got its name from the Duluth-based group of famous Grandma's
Restaurants, the first major sponsor of the marathon. In addition to the
26.2-mile race, the organization has now added the Garry Bjorklund Half
Marathon and William A. Irvin 5K to its weekend offerings.
As the popularity of Grandma's Marathon has grown, our mission has stayed
the same - to organize, promote, and deliver annual events and programs
that cultivate running, educational, social, and charitable opportunities
to our communities.
Grandma's Marathon-Duluth, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit
organization with a nine-person, full-time staff and a 17-member Board of
Directors.
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