Grandmas Marathon Roll Call

If you own a van or SUV sleeping in the DECC parking lot is about $10 versus $600 at the tourist trap hotels.

The parking lot at the airport in Two Harbors is free (and damn convenient) if you have someone to drive it back.

A wheeler video from 2013.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3In4RKjCZs

GRandmas boy wrote:

Do you have to be staying at one of the race affiliated hotels to use the busing?

No, the busing is available to anyone with a bib. Of course, it helps to be staying at a hotel or dorm that has buses departing directly from it.

The only good options for getting to the start are the buses or the train for marathoners, or the buses for half-marathoners. I've heard of people getting dropped off, but due to road closures, you'll be dropped off a fair distance from the start.

Of course, if you're a crazy ultra-marathoner, you can just jog up to the start from Canal Park (I believe a few people do this each year)

darkwave wrote:

Of course, if you're a crazy ultra-marathoner, you can just jog up to the start from Canal Park (I believe a few people do this each year)

The Grandma's double has become something of a tradition. For crazy people.

When can we start getting excited about the weather?

Want2getfaster wrote:

When can we start getting excited about the weather?

Race morning. The forecast will change several times between now and then.

I'm not kidding. In 2016, I flew up to Duluth thinking we were going to have good weather. It was black-flagged due to heat.

Last year, I went to bed thinking that we were going to have rain, possibly heavy, and that the start might be delayed due to thunderstorms. Woke up to fantastic weather - no rain.

Good to know. I tend to stress about marathon weather 15 days out regardless lol

darkwave wrote:

There are two notable hills - Lemondrop (which looks worse than it is) and the unnamed one that comes just after, when you turn right and then left to get onto Superior Street. The second hill is steeper than Lemon Drop, but shorter. It's not awful, as long as you're not surprised by it (as I was the first year).

That second hill is typically referred to as the 'Super1 hill' due to it's proximity to the Super1 grocery store. It's one of my preferred spots to spectate as it can chew people up if their not ready for it. Lots of people get reduced to a walk at that point.

This will be my 3rd time up at Grandma's, shooting for ~2:50. My first marathon was Grandma's in 2016 and I was too naive to think the weather was that bad (ended up running 3:02).

The buses aren't too bad, especially if you're staying at one of the colleges, just walk out and jump on.

Lake Superior is a strange beast, but boy is it ever so great to run alongside it for a couple hours.

I've got 9 marathoners

1 masters male looking to run sub 2:40

1 lady looking to run sub 2:43 (first marathon after having a baby, she's already got the "B" Standard)

2 ladies looking to run sub 2:45

1 Male looking run 2:45

1 Lady looking to run 2:55

1 lady looking to run 3:15

2 Ladies looking run 3:35

4 in the Half (including myself )

1 lady looking to run sub 1:17

2 ladies looking to run sub 1:20

Your truly, looking to run sub 1:30

We've been lucky with weather over the years. My folks are all from San Antonio, or Dallas, TX so even a bit of humidity doesn't seem to bother my folks. All of us will take the buses to the start, (except for 3 of my marathoners, and one of the half marathoners, who will be in the elite field for both races) We always bring throw away clothing to wear at the start and strip down right before the gun.

old dog, old tricks wrote:

I'll be there. Shooting for 2:25ish. We'll see. I haven't ran a ton of miles the past 6 months (avg 60 mpw) but it's been fun at least competing again. There are over 200 elite athletes signed up (I'm not one of them) so it should be a barn burner.

best of luck to you. hoping to be able find a group to run with in that range with you.

Thanks for the analysis, darkwave. I've been targeting this race since CIM to go for an OTQ, and it seems like this course/weather/field will provide an optimal set of conditions.

looks like a ton of hotels and airBnBs are booked whether staying in Superior WI or Two Harbors MN. I assume if I arrive at one of the hotels with bus transportation to the start all should be good

Great race for sub-elites to go for it and earn some cash and get some recognition.

Lead packs should be extremely small.

2 sub 2:10's in men's marathon (Barno, Ordoro should be easy 1/2 )

2 Sub 2:30 in women's marathon (Kiptoo, Bawcom)

3 Sub 63's men's half (Llano, Mkungo, Cheriuyot)

1 Sub 70 women;s half (Hasay) - next best 72+ so should be a calk walk for Hasay

Might see some new names in top 5 in all races.

Running my first marathon - shooting for 2:55-ish

Thanks for the write up darkwave, good stuff.

Is it safe to look at the weather now?

Is it going to be tailwind day?

Current forecast looks crappy — low of 62, scattered Tstorms, ESE wind shifting to WSW (headwind)

I'll be up for my 18th Grandma's in a row. Grandma's was my first ever running race - a bucket list item right before my 40th birthday. It changed my life.

Take the latest bus to the start as possible. Waiting around at the start sucks. Hopefully it won't rain.

Weather is looking better and better for a fast day. Unfortunately, my 10 year string of BQs will come to an end since I'm running with my GF with the 4:20 group. Priorities, you know. LOL.

I'll be the guy swimming in the lake by the canal after the race. Ice bath, baby.

drocha86 wrote:

Current forecast looks crappy — low of 62, scattered Tstorms, ESE wind shifting to WSW (headwind)

That will change a few more times before Saturday. The main thing is just to keep watching that wind. The temp is dictated almost entirely by the wind and the lake.

Weather watcher wrote:

That will change a few more times before Saturday. The main thing is just to keep watching that wind. The temp is dictated almost entirely by the wind and the lake.

Agreed. we won't know what we are getting until that morning. And a wind off of the lake will mean that temps on most of the race course will be cooler than the surrounding area.

Last year, we had a cross-wind off of the lake - it was like running with an air-conditioner right next to you.

Anyone up for a Letsrun get-together at Little Angies post-race?