Three runners with local addresses will be among the thousands in the Duluth area on Saturday to run 26.2 miles along north shore of Lake Superior in the 38th annual Grandma’s Marathon.
The local runners who have registered are all females and range in age from 18 to 34 with the youngest being Katie Fort, a 2014 Littlefork-Big Falls graduate who played on the Vikings’ softball team this past season.
The oldest entrant, Stacy Harris, and Essa Eide, both from International Falls, ran last year in the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, which also takes place in the Duluth area on the same morning as the Grandma’s Marathon.
Last year’s overall winner of Grandma’s Marathon, Bazu Worku of Ethiopia, finished in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 14 seconds. The 2013 top female, Sarah Kiptoo of Kenya, set the women’s course record in 2:26:31. The overall course record of 2:09:37 was set by Dick Beardsley in 1981.
Saturday’s Grandma’s Marathon begins at 7:45 a.m. just outside of Two Harbors and finishes in Duluth’s Canal Park.
GARRY BJORKLUND HALF MARATHON
The 13.1-mile Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon has six runners registered from International Falls.
The four female runners range in age from 26 to 45 and include: Mallory Crane, 26; Tina Sather, 38; Terry Mason, 40; and Barb Owen-Boerger, 45.
Both male runners are over age 60 and include: James Wood, 63; and Len Peterson, 67.
John Klecker of Minnetonka placed first in the 2013 Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in 1:09:19. Last year’s top female was Mary Davies of Houston, Texas, who finished in 1:11:07.
Saturday’s Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon begins at 6:15 a.m. It is run on the second half of the Grandma’s Marathon course.
