The BIG Race! {Grandma’s Marathon}

I am so proud of my hubby!  Last month he ran his very first marathon!  As of today, he says it’s his only marathon, but I guess only time will tell on that one…

After hubby started running a couple years ago, he ran a few races.  First there was a 5K, then there was the 10K that he ran with his family in Iowa, and then the 1/2 marathon, and then last fall he ran a 5K with a friend.  After running the 1/2 marathon, he decided that maybe he should just keep on training and run a full marathon. After lots of consideration, he decided to sign up to run Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth.  It was the perfect race to run – a beautiful view of Lake Superior and the lift bridge for the entire run.  Or so we thought...

This is the view of the lift bridge from 1-2 blocks away.  If you know Duluth, you know there is so much more to see than this photo has to offer!  There went the view hubby was hoping to have throughout his run.


The race starts near Two Harbors, Minnesota and ends in Canal Park in Duluth, not far from the lift bridge.

The weather really wasn't great.  At least for the spectators.  It was so foggy that the runners couldn't really see more than about 20 feet of the lake, but the rumor is that the temperature was perfect and they were just fine with the drizzle/rain.  For those of us spectators hoping to enjoy Canal Park and the race festivities, the weather was TERRIBLE. Cold. Drizzly. Windy. Yuck.

Thanks to the little chip on hubby’s shoe, and the fabulous technology that is usually in my pocket (iPhone), I was able to track hubby’s progress throughout the race.  This meant that we could hang out in our warm hotel room, right at the finish line, and get to the finish line just a few minutes before he came across.  We even met up with a friend from work and her son, which helped to pass the time.

Here’s hubby (in blue) stepping over the finish line!  You can see where they painted “Grandma’s Marathon Finish” on the road – it’s there year-round.


Here he is immediately after the race before receiving his medal. (You can see the medals on the table behind him)  He was wiped out!


Receiving his medal – way to go!!  We are proud of you!!


It’s been about 3 weeks since the race, and hubby is still pretty confident that this was his one and only marathon.  Regardless of his future plans, it’s a GREAT accomplishment!  I’m positive there will be more races in his future (maybe even a mountain bike race??).  I’m just pretty sure they will all be less than 26.2 miles.