Why Are Runner's Wearing Number 30 At Grandma's Marathon?

Grandma's Marathon is just a couple of weeks away. It's one of the Northland's biggest events, bringing runners from across the globe to make the run along Lake Superior.

Grandma's Marathon 2024 June 22

In case you don't know what Grandma's Marathon is, it's actually not a race for just grandmas. (Locally famous Grandma's Restaurant was the first ever sponsor.)

It's a 26.2-mile race that starts in Two Harbors, Minnesota, and ends in Canal Park in Duluth, Minnesota. It's a very scenic run along Lake Superior on the North Shore Scenic Drive. The race winds then through downtown and finishes in the heart of Duluth.

What's up with the number 30 on runner's shirts?

My friend Chris Kari is with Kari Toyota in Superior. Toyota sponsors the race. They actually have a Toyota vehicle wrapped with every runner's name on the vehicle you should look for. Anyway, he's running the half marathon this year. It was something he didn't plan on doing again, but there was a cause that he decided to lace up for.

Thirty Story YouTube

30 for Freedom

Many runners this year will have a light blue shirt on with the number 30 across the front. It's to raise awareness for human trafficking. The number 30 stands for the fact that every 30 seconds someone becomes a victim of human trafficking. Chris says they have about 100 runners over the weekend who are running for the cause.

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Here's how you can help the 30 For Freedom cause.

They're raising awareness and funds. It's important that people know that it's a huge problem in the world. It's modern slavery, and it's a terrible thing. They raise money to help rescue human trafficking victims, and then help rehabilitate them into life. As you can imagine, there is a lot of trauma and help these victims need help with.

The runners will all have a QR code on the back of their shirts that you can scan to donate. You can also go to 30ForFreedom.org for more information and donate there.

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