Duluth mayor to run first full Grandma’s Marathon on 50th anniversary

Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert will lace up for his first full marathon this weekend as Grandma’s Marathon marks its 50th annual race weekend, turning one of the city’s biggest events into a visible test of civic hospitality. Reinert has run the half marathon and the William A. Irvin 5K many times, but this will be his first shot at the full 26.2-mile race.

The marathon weekend is set for June 19-20, with the 5K on Friday, June 19, the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon starting at 6:00 a.m. Saturday, June 20, and the full marathon beginning at 7:45 a.m. Saturday. The City of Duluth has already warned of traffic and parking changes around Canal Park and the North Shore, while the Aerial Lift Bridge and Enger Tower are set to glow green during the celebration.

Reinert’s participation fits a bigger civic message: the mayor wants residents to help thousands of runners, spectators and visitors move through the city with patience and practical help. That includes giving directions, making room for people who are unfamiliar with Duluth and understanding when traffic patterns shift around race weekend. Reinert, elected Duluth’s 40th mayor and sworn in in January 2024, is using the race to underscore that city government sees the marathon as part of Duluth’s public identity, not just a sporting event.

The scale helps explain why. Grandma’s Marathon, first held in 1977, says more than 235,000 participants have crossed the finish line in Canal Park since the race began, and organizers expect the total to reach 250,000 during the 50th annual event. For 2026, more than 19,000 people registered for the race weekend, and the marathon field was expanded to 9,500 runners before selling out in 12 hours.

The event’s economic footprint is just as large. Grandma’s Marathon says close to 3,500 volunteers work more than 40,000 hours each year, the weekend has more than 85 sponsors and it generates almost $40 million in annual regional economic impact. A University of Minnesota Extension study found nearly nine out of every ten participants were visitors to Duluth, each participant brought about two to three more people, and visitors usually stayed two to three days. The organization also says the race was the 10th largest marathon in the United States in 2025, with 7,582 finishers, giving the 50th anniversary both symbolic weight and practical consequences for hotels, restaurants and roads across Duluth and St. Louis County.