16-Week Grandma's Marathon Training Plan

Duluth, MNJune 19, 2027

Start around February 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
February 27, 2027
Runway
16 weeks
Course
26 miles of Lake Superior
Plan choice
Current training

Does this window fit your starting point?

Use this window when you have a running base and want several weeks before the hardest marathon-specific work begins. The extra month over a 12-week plan creates more room for gradual long-run growth and recovery.

  • You run consistently enough that week one is a continuation, not a restart.
  • You want a distinct foundation phase before the biggest long runs.
  • You can protect your planned run days for roughly four months.
  • Your race date leaves the full window without forcing skipped weeks.

The 16-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.

Foundation

Weeks 1–4

Feb 28, 2027–Mar 27, 2027

Establish repeatable weeks, keep most running easy, and begin extending the long run without forcing the pace.

Build

Weeks 5–10

Mar 28, 2027–May 8, 2027

Increase the weekly load, preserve step-back weeks, and introduce the terrain and effort the race will require.

Peak

Weeks 11–13

May 9, 2027–May 29, 2027

Complete the biggest race-specific weeks and use long runs to lock in fueling, pacing, and equipment.

Taper

Weeks 14–16

May 30, 2027–Jun 19, 2027

Bring volume down while keeping the weekly rhythm familiar. Training is finished before race week begins.

Make the window specific to Grandma's Marathon.

Use the first month to establish consistency, then make long runs progressively more specific to the race's terrain and conditions. The course rehearsal should grow with the plan, not appear all at once in peak week.

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

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

When should I start a 16-week Grandma's Marathon plan?

The 2027 Grandma's Marathon is scheduled for June 19, 2027, so the 16-week window opens around February 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 16-week plan long enough for the Grandma's Marathon?

Use this window when you have a running base and want several weeks before the hardest marathon-specific work begins. The extra month over a 12-week plan creates more room for gradual long-run growth and recovery. 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 16 weeks?

Use the first month to establish consistency, then make long runs progressively more specific to the race's terrain and conditions. The course rehearsal should grow with the plan, not appear all at once in peak week. 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 16-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 16-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.