Beautiful race through some gorgeous autumn foliage. The course is along paved bike trail, through the Bemidji state forest, and along Lake Bemidji through downtown, past Paul and Babe. There are a few rolling hills, but the course is pretty fast. The volunteers are great, the swag is awesome, and you get a free drink ticket to Bemidji Brewing. I highly recommend this race. It let's you enjoy Northern Minnesota in the fall in all it's glory.

Grandma's was my first marathon last year. I chose the race because I LOVE the area and have a lot of history in Duluth. I've always dreamed of running that course since I became a runner several years ago. I finally felt I was ready so I signed up and started training.
Everything was amazing! The expo and 5k the night before were great. The bussing to the starting line was fantastic. The fan support and course volunteers were great, and the scenery was beautiful (even if it was foggy).
The course has slight rolling hills (nothing too bad, not even Lemon Drop at mile 22), and runs along the shore of Lake Superior from just south of Two Harbors to Duluth. It has the best of both worlds, the beauty and serenity of the forest and the lake, then the tremendous fan support when entering Duluth.
I loved it so much I signed up for it again this year. I'm running the Great Grandma's Challenge (the 5k the night before and then the marathon) and am running the marathon for charity. I can't wait. If you're on the fence about this one...DO IT! You will not regret it.
I loved the race so much that I signed up to re