Governor Mark Dayton Proclaims June 18 “Grandma’s Marathon Day”

A proud Northland tradition will celebrate it's 40th anniversary this weekend and Governor Mark Dayton has proclaimed June 18 as "Grandma's Marathon Day" in the state of Minnesota.

The proclamation, which is posted on the Governor’s Office website, notes Grandma’s Marathon’s commitment to inspire healthy and active lifestyles while celebrating the beauty of the North Shore and Lake Superior.

The proclamation also notes that since 1977, there have been a total of 193, 629 finishers and the race has grown into an event with activities for runners of all abilities and that runners from all over the world travel to Minnesota to race each year.

According to Grandma’s Marathon, the marathon has over 9,600 registrants signed up for the race’s 40th running. The nation’s 11th largest marathon starts at 7:45 a.m. this Saturday, June 18.

The weekend’s other two races, the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon and the William A. Irvin 5K, both have a record number of entries. The half marathon has over 9,500 participants registered and the 5K has 2,200. In all, over 20,000 are signed up to participate in the three-race weekend.