12-Week Grandma's Marathon Training Plan

Duluth, MNJune 19, 2027

Start around March 27, 2027. The calendar below gives each phase a real date, then the course guidance shows where to make the build specific to Grandma's Marathon.

Grandma’s is the June classic: a point-to-point run down the old highway along Lake Superior’s shore from Two Harbors into Duluth, with cool lake air, a gently helpful profile, and a finish-line party in Canal Park that takes over the whole town.

Race day
June 19, 2027
Start window
March 27, 2027
Runway
12 weeks
Course
26 miles of Lake Superior
Plan choice
Current training

Does this window fit your starting point?

Use this window when your recent training is steady and the opening week will not be a mileage jump. If you are returning after a long break, twelve weeks is too little room to rebuild and peak at the same time.

  • Your weekly mileage has been consistent for the last six to eight weeks.
  • You have completed recent long runs and do not need to rebuild from three easy miles.
  • You can protect the same number of run days from week one through race week.
  • You are prepared to begin race-specific work early instead of using a long base phase.

The 12-week Grandma's Marathon calendar

These dates define the job of each phase. Your current mileage, recent longest run, experience, goal, and available days still decide the actual workouts inside them.

Settle

Weeks 1–2

Mar 28, 2027–Apr 10, 2027

Hold close to your current volume, establish the weekly rhythm, and make sure the opening load is honest.

Build

Weeks 3–7

Apr 11, 2027–May 15, 2027

Grow the long run and weekly work with step-back weeks intact. There is no room to repay missed mileage.

Peak

Weeks 8–10

May 16, 2027–Jun 5, 2027

Complete the most race-specific long runs, rehearse fueling, and practice the terrain that will decide the final 10K.

Taper

Weeks 11–12

Jun 6, 2027–Jun 19, 2027

Reduce volume, keep the routine familiar, and arrive on race day without trying to squeeze in one more big week.

Make the window specific to Grandma's Marathon.

Course-specific work starts early in a 12-week build. Put the race's terrain and expected conditions into long runs once the opening weeks feel controlled, without adding extra hard days.

Read the full race guide

How to train for Grandma's

A June race means a spring buildup, and for Midwesterners that's training through the tail of winter into perfect April and May weather. The gamble is race day itself: lake-cooled and ideal most years, warm occasionally. Do some of your late long runs at the warm end of the day so a sunny year doesn't catch you unprepared.

The course rewards rhythm with a twist: mostly steady rolling grades, then one real climb at mile 22. Finish long runs with a hill and then a fast mile, the exact Lemon-Drop-then-downtown sequence, and race day's ending will feel rehearsed.

Let your current training decide the actual plan.

Current mileage, recent longest run, marathon experience, goal, and available days determine which plans rank first. After you choose and subscribe, Stride dates every workout through June 19, 2027.

Build My Plan

12-week Grandma's Marathon plan questions, answered.

When should I start a 12-week Grandma's Marathon plan?

The 2027 Grandma's Marathon is scheduled for June 19, 2027, so the 12-week window opens around March 27, 2027. Treat that as the outside edge of the window, then line week one up with the plan's normal weekly rhythm.

Is a 12-week plan long enough for the Grandma's Marathon?

Use this window when your recent training is steady and the opening week will not be a mileage jump. If you are returning after a long break, twelve weeks is too little room to rebuild and peak at the same time. The course does not change the opening load you can handle, so choose from your current mileage and recent longest run before adding race-specific terrain.

How should I prepare for the Grandma's Marathon course in 12 weeks?

Course-specific work starts early in a 12-week build. Put the race's terrain and expected conditions into long runs once the opening weeks feel controlled, without adding extra hard days. A June race means a spring buildup, and for Midwesterners that's training through the tail of winter into perfect April and May weather. The gamble is race day itself: lake-cooled and ideal most years, warm occasionally. Do some of your late long runs at the warm end of the day so a sunny year doesn't catch you unprepared.

What if the 12-week Grandma's Marathon window has already started?

Do not double weeks or cram missed mileage into the remaining calendar. Use your current mileage, recent longest run, experience, goal, and available days to choose a plan that can enter at an appropriate point while preserving the taper.

How long do I need to train for Grandma's Marathon?

Most Stride marathon plans run 12 to 20 weeks, putting a Grandma's buildup in the late winter and spring. Get matched in the app and Stride maps every week from today to Canal Park.

Is Grandma's Marathon a fast course?

Yes: gently rolling with a slight net downhill, point-to-point along the lake, and June mornings that the lake usually keeps cool. It has a strong PR and BQ reputation, especially for runners who save something for after Lemon Drop Hill.

Put the 12-week window against your actual race.

Each page counts back from race day, maps the 4 phases to real dates, and applies the window to that course and its typical conditions.