Grandma’s Marathon weekend brings busy boost to Canal Park shops

Grandma’s Marathon weekend generated $39.4 million in economic activity across the region, along with $13.6 million in labor income and 300 supported jobs, in the 2024 University of Minnesota Extension study. Nearly nine out of every ten participants were visitors to Duluth, and each participant brought two to three people on average, pushing the biggest crowds into Bayfront Park and Canal Park.

Nichols, who owns Duluth Studio Market at 369 Canal Park Drive, said the race brings tens of thousands of people to the Twin Ports and gives local shops a busy weekend. She said the atmosphere feels like the unofficial start of summer in Duluth, but Saturday can be awkward for retailers because downtown is full of people backing runners rather than shopping.

Nichols moved Duluth Studio Market from Lakeside to Canal Park in 2026 because of increased walk-in traffic and summer tourism. She bought the store last year after it had been in Duluth since 2020, and the shop now sells work from local, regional, national and international artists, including paintings, sculptures, pottery, soap, candy and other handmade items.

Hotels and motels, bars and restaurants, and gasoline stations benefited most directly from the visitor surge, while Canal Park and Bayfront Park were the busiest areas of the year based on mobile analytics data.

In 1977, the race drew 150 registrants running from Two Harbors to Duluth. In 2025, Grandma’s Marathon logged 7,582 finishers, its largest field in event history, and more than 18,300 finishers across the marathon, half marathon and 5K. For the 50th annual running, traffic impacts began Monday, June 15, with the William A. Irvin 5K on Friday, June 19, the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon at 6:00 a.m. Saturday and the full marathon at 7:45 a.m. Saturday, June 20. Close to 3,500 volunteers contributed more than 40,000 hours.