2026 Grandma’s Marathon Sells Out In Record Time

It seems like the 2025 Grandma's Marathon weekend was a lifetime ago! It's always my favorite weekend of the summer and then when it's finished, the rest of the year flies by.

However, considering it's one of the biggest races in the country, it takes a little preparation when it comes to registration. The queue is always long with people trying to get in on this once-in-a-lifetime race.

Get our free mobile app

Registration always happens around this time of the year - and last night (October 1st) was the big night. As always, lines were long and organizers warned ahead of time that it might be even crazier than usual!

Why? Because next year marks the 50th anniversary of the major race, meaning people who have been holding out the past few years will want to get in on this historic weekend. It turns out all the warnings were right: the weekend is already a sellout.

All 2026 Grandma's Marathon Weekend Races Sellout In Record Time

More than 19,000 runners signed up for the weekend races - all of them! - in twelve hours, smashing all previous records. That is pretty impressive. The record beforehand? All races sold out in just over a month and that was last year.

RELATED: Random Thoughts On 2025 Grandma's Marathon

The crazy part is that the number of runners will continue to grow because the initial 19,000+ record doesn't include elite runners, sponsor entries or charity entries. It really is going to be the biggest Grandma's Marathon weekend of all!

All The Records Broken For The 2026 Grandma's Marathon Weekend

Let's break it down! Grandma's Marathon, which usually takes a bit to sell out, sold out in twelve hours with about 9,500 entries. The Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon sold out in about 75 minutes, with about 7,000 entries.

RELATED: Everything New With Grandma's Marathon 2025

The William A. Irvin 5K sold out in just under two hours with about 1,500 entries. This one is always one of my favorites! Throw in the challenges, which had 500 entries each, and you have a pretty impressive sellout.

How You Can Get Into The 2026 Grandma's Marathon Races

Don't panic if you didn't get in! You can still get in by joining the official Grandma's Marathon training group, which guarantees you an entry into the race. You can also become a charity runner, raising money for one of fifty charities.

If you hit that charity's fundraising goal, which varies by charity,  you get an entry into the race of your choosing. You can see a list of charity partners on the official Grandma's Marathon website now.