Grandma's Marathon: Pacing & Race-Day Strategy
A fast, scenic point-to-point along Lake Superior with a gentle net descent.
- Where:
- Duluth, Minnesota
- When:
- June
- Course:
- Gentle net downhill · point-to-point
- Best run as:
- Even pace
Course & elevation
Grandma’s runs the North Shore of Lake Superior into Duluth, with a gentle net downhill and few real climbs until a short rise near mile 22 (Lemon Drop Hill). It’s a fast, straightforward course — the main variable is June weather.
Key moments
- Mile 1–20Gently descending lakeshore — smooth and fast; settle into rhythm.
- Mile 22Lemon Drop Hill — the one short climb that bites this late.
- Mile 23–26.2Into downtown Duluth for the finish.
Pacing strategy
An even effort works well on the gentle descent. The course is so smooth it’s easy to drift fast early — hold back, and keep something for Lemon Drop.
Plan your mile splits
Enter your goal time to get a mile-by-mile pacing band for Grandma's Marathon. The even pace option is pre-selected to suit this course.
| Mile | Pace | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:09/mi | 9:09 |
| 2 | 9:09/mi | 18:18 |
| 3 | 9:09/mi | 27:28 |
| 4 | 9:09/mi | 36:37 |
| 5 | 9:09/mi | 45:46 |
| 6 | 9:09/mi | 54:55 |
| 7 | 9:09/mi | 1:04:05 |
| 8 | 9:09/mi | 1:13:14 |
| 9 | 9:09/mi | 1:22:23 |
| 10 | 9:09/mi | 1:31:32 |
| 11 | 9:09/mi | 1:40:41 |
| 12 | 9:09/mi | 1:49:51 |
| 13 | 9:09/mi | 1:59:00 |
| 14 | 9:09/mi | 2:08:09 |
| 15 | 9:09/mi | 2:17:18 |
| 16 | 9:09/mi | 2:26:28 |
| 17 | 9:09/mi | 2:35:37 |
| 18 | 9:09/mi | 2:44:46 |
| 19 | 9:09/mi | 2:53:55 |
| 20 | 9:09/mi | 3:03:05 |
| 21 | 9:09/mi | 3:12:14 |
| 22 | 9:09/mi | 3:21:23 |
| 23 | 9:09/mi | 3:30:32 |
| 24 | 9:09/mi | 3:39:41 |
| 25 | 9:09/mi | 3:48:51 |
| 26 | 9:09/mi | 3:58:00 |
| 26.22 | 9:09/mi | 4:00:00 |
Fueling & hydration
Aid stations roughly every 2 miles with water and sports drink. Warm, humid years raise fluid needs — drink to thirst and keep gels on schedule.
Weather
Mid-June on Lake Superior is a coin flip: cool and perfect, or warm and humid. Heat is the biggest risk to your goal time.
Train for Grandma's Marathon
Build a free, personalized marathon plan that progresses you safely to race day — with paces tuned to your goal.
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