(DULUTH, MINN.) – Starting too fast may be an issue for runners in June, but it certainly wasn’t a problem tonight as registration officially opened for the 2027 Grandma’s Marathon weekend in Duluth.
One year after rewriting its registration record books ahead of the 50th annual race weekend, Grandma’s Marathon is reaching for the erasers again just hours after opening its proverbial doors for June 2027.
“We’ve again reached an unprecedented level of interest in Grandma’s Marathon,” Marketing & Public Relations Director Zach Schneider said. “Registration has shifted these past years to a conversation around weeks and months to mere minutes and hours. It’s truly humbling to sit here and watch people from all over the world decide that they want to be in Duluth for our race weekend.”
As registration opened at 7:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, October 1, organizers showed more than 11,000 people in the waiting room. Once 90 minutes had passed, more than 17,500 people had signed up in record-setting time for one of the weekend’s events.
Grandma’s Marathon – 8,000 entries, sold out in 174 minutes (new record)
Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon – 7,500 entries, sold out in 58 minutes (new record)
William A. Irvin 5K – 1,750 entries, sold out in 118 minutes
Full Great Grandma’s Challenge – 500 entries, sold out in 170 minutes
Half Great Grandma’s Challenge – 500 entries, sold out in 64 minutes
Both the full and half marathon sold out in individual record times, while the event as a whole beat last year’s mark of 12 hours and set a new sellout record of just under three hours.
“In some ways, tonight was the easy part,” Schneider said. “All these people signed up for the Grandma’s Marathon experience, and now we have eight months to work on delivering on that promise. We can’t wait to give them a weekend they’ll remember forever.”
So, what can runners do now? Grandma’s Marathon has an answer, and it benefits more than just the race and the runner.
“Run for charity, and everybody wins,” Schneider said. “We have 68 Charity Partners representing organizations and causes that do a lot of good around our community, and together we’re aiming to raise $1 million or more in 2027.”
Participants can choose one of the charitable causes with available entries, and when that participant reaches the fundraising goal – set by each organization – they will receive a free entry into the 2027 event of their choice. Approximately 1,000 total race entries are available through charity partners, though availability will vary by organization.
“We talk every year about the positive impact Grandma’s Marathon weekend has on our participants and community,” Schneider said, “and our Charity Partners program is a prime example of how that impact can extend even past our race weekend. Runners can get what they’re after, a spot at the starting line, and in exchange these nonprofit organizations can receive money to do some real good within our region.”
The 51st annual Grandma’s Marathon weekend is scheduled for June 17-19, 2027.
For any questions or interview requests, please contact Marketing & Public Relations Director Zach Schneider via phone at (218) 343-9874 or via email at zach@grandmasmarathon.com.