Grandma's Marathon Registration Expected To Be Highly Competitive

DULUTH, Minn. (KQDS-TV) – Registration for the 2027 Grandma’s Marathon and related weekend events is anticipated to be highly competitive, with organizers expecting a rush to secure spots.

High Demand Anticipated

Last year, nearly 10,000 individuals were vying for registration on opening day, and most were able to complete the process within 5 to 10 minutes. Sign-ups will be available for the William A. Irvin 5-K, Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon, and the full Grandma’s Marathon, operating on a first-come, first-served basis.

Elite and Citizen Registration

Zach Schneider, Marketing and Public Relations Director, explained the race's approach to both elite and citizen registration. “You have to qualify for Boston; you have to get into a lottery for Chicago and New York. Grandma's marathon, you just have to be in line at 7 o'clock on October 1. Your chances are pretty good at getting into the race, and so we treat our elite program very similarly to the citizen registration. If you're the first to email us and meet the standard, you get a spot at the start.”

Participant Cap Reduction

Due to recent years stretching the limits of race staff, organizers have decided to reduce the maximum number of participants. Schneider emphasized, “If you’re there at 7 o'clock on October 1, we expect that you’ll get into the race that you want, just as you have in years past. But you show up on October 2, October 3, or later, you might be disappointed.”

Registration Details

Registration opens on October 1 at 7 p.m. Central Time.