Race Tips:
Busing: Catch the bus early. Grandmas does a pretty good job having plenty of buses available. However, the lines to board a bus can be very long and last year we sat for 20 minutes on a bus in the line up at the start area before they would let us unload. Your start line bathroom and prep time can be eaten up in the busing process so just catch an early bus to save yourself stress.
We recommend applying sunscreen to your legs during this race. The angle of the raising sun and the lake means many runners end up with sunburned legs. They have sunscreen, vaseline, ibuprophen, etc available in a tent at the start if you happen to forget.
Pay attention to the crown of the road, The road has some very slanted areas and if you pay attention and move to a flatter area on the shoulder or in the middle of the road, your knees and ankles and legs will thank you.
If you get to the half marathon point and need to use a potty - there is a large row of them. Go to the end of the row and you'll find empty potties. If you jump in at the start of the row, you'll waste precious race minutes waiting in line.
Don't forget to enjoy the view. While your working hard to get through the Marathon, don't forget to look in awe at Beautiful Lake Superior!
Have your family meet you by the sweat pick-up area instead of the family meeting area. (Or any other defined location away from the finish line). The family meeting area is too small and becomes a huge maze of a crowd where you can hardly take a step to move. It is a miserable place to be when you have just completed the race and feel exhausted. Also, we have had members who had trouble using cell phones in this location because of coverage/reception issues Don't rely only on cell phones to find each other at meeting area, agree on a meeting place ahead of time.
Parking Downtown:
If you are parking a vehicle downtown, be careful to avoid leaving your car trapped inside the race course. A great spot in the early morning can be a difficult spot to leave later in the day.
This is a page of general tips from various Renegades who have participated in Grandma's Marathon in the past. Hope you find it helpful!
Lodging:
We have had great luck staying at the college dorms and would strongly recommend it. The costs is reasonable compared to the Duluth Hotels (which fleece you with inflated rates, a 3 night minimum, and no-refund policies on the Marathon weekend). The dorms cater to runners on the weekend, make check-in a breeze, put lemonade, water, bananas, etc in the lobby and have the convenience of bus pick-up to shuttle you to and from the race with no hassle.
Free parking is available. Rooms are offered at U of Mn, Duluth, College of St. Scholastica and U of W, Superior.
Downside to the dorms:
The rooms are not air conditioned so bring a small fan. No TV in dorm rooms so it is hard to get the forecast or temp. on race day. Sharing shower and bathroom facilities means you may have a short wait.
Alternative housing : Hosted by residents can be booked using
www.LandTrustDuluth.org
We don't know of anyone who has used this method, but found info in our race packets in 2006 and wanted to spread the word for those looking for Marathon housing.
Larsmont Cottages on Lake Superior
Again, we don't know of anyone who has stayed here but we know lodging can be a problem and they put info in the marathon packet last year so we are passing along the link.
