Grandma's Marathon training plan: course, start dates, and plan options
Duluth, MNJune 19, 2027
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.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
It has quietly become one of America’s favorite fast courses, and one of its favorite first marathons. Stride matches you to a plan for either mission and maps every week from today to race day.
267 days to race day
Grandma's Marathon · June 19, 2027 · about 38 weeks out
Your plan starts with your race and works backward. Every week lands on a real calendar, with race day at the end.
When to start training for the Grandma's Marathon 2027
Race day is June 19, 2027, which is 267 days from today. Counting back from that date, here is when each length of build starts.
- 30-week buildStart November 21, 2026
- 24-week buildStart January 2, 2027
- 18-week buildStart February 13, 2027
- 16-week buildStart February 27, 2027
- 12-week buildshortest Stride acceptsStart March 27, 2027
You have about 38 weeks until race day, so there is still room for a full build. Stride reads the runway you actually have and maps every week from today to June 19, 2027.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Let’s find the plan for you.
Your race, current mileage, longest run, marathon experience, and available days decide the best fit. Stride maps the plan you choose to race day at the Grandma's Marathon.
- Stride Run-Walk FinisherThree sessions a week with planned walk breaks, cover the full distance before race day.
- Stride First MarathonThe classic four-day first-marathon build: easy running and one weekly long run, no speedwork.
- Stride First Marathon PlusA first-marathon build with a little more volume and weekly race-pace miles.
- Stride 6-Day FinisherFinish your first marathon on frequency: six easy-leaning runs a week, no monster long runs.
- Stride 5-Day Pace BuilderFive days a week with race-pace runs before your long runs, built for a mid-pack time goal.
- Stride 6-Day RhythmSix days a week with three quality sessions, steady fatigue that teaches you to finish strong.
- Stride Time-Based FoundationFive time-based runs a week, mostly easy, the injury-averse way to a strong finish.
- Stride Time-Based BuilderSix time-based runs a week at a strict 80% easy / 20% hard split, chase a time goal without breaking.
- Stride 3-Day Cross-TrainThree runs plus two cross-training days over 24 weeks, marathon fitness on a busy schedule.
- Stride 3-Day QualityExactly three hard runs plus two mandatory cross-training sessions, every workout counts.
- Stride 6-Day CumulativeThe six-day cumulative-fatigue build with quality from week two, for PR chasers with a base.
- Stride Threshold 55The serious BQ/PR build to 55 miles a week: threshold work, medium-long runs, and 20-milers.
- Stride Threshold 70The high-mileage BQ/PR build to 70 miles a week for veterans with a deep base.
- Stride 2-Quality FlexTwo fixed quality sessions a week, everything else flexible easy running, fits any schedule.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Choose your Grandma's Marathon training window.
Compare 12, 16, 18, and 20 weeks counted back from race day. The 18-week option includes the complete four-day schedule.
The course: 26 miles of Lake Superior
The course follows Scenic Highway 61 southwest along the lake for nearly the entire race: water on your left, pines on your right, gently rolling with a slight net downhill into Duluth. The lake does double duty: postcard scenery and natural air conditioning, with shore breezes that keep June mornings cool more often than not.
The one landmark everyone learns by name is Lemon Drop Hill around mile 22: a short, honest climb as the course enters Duluth proper. It's small by any objective measure and enormous by mile-22 measure. From its crest it's a fast, crowd-lined run through downtown to the Canal Park finish.
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.
Getting in
Open registration with a capped field: no lottery, no qualifying standards. Grandma's has grown into one of the biggest marathons in the country and fills reliably, so register early once you commit.
Grandma's Marathon questions, answered.
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.
What is Lemon Drop Hill?
A short climb around mile 22 as the course enters Duluth: modest on fresh legs, memorable on marathon legs. Train hills at the end of long runs and it becomes the moment you start passing people.
Is Grandma's a good first marathon?
One of the best: gorgeous, well-organized, cool weather odds, and a course with exactly one named hill. Tell Stride it's your first and you'll get a conservative first-finish build.
When should I start training for the Grandma's Marathon 2027?
Race day is June 19, 2027. Counting back from that date, a 20-week build starts around January 30, 2027, a 16-week build around February 27, 2027, and a 12-week build around March 27, 2027. Already inside that window? Stride maps a plan from today to race day, whatever the runway.
How does Stride's Grandma's Marathon plan work?
Download the app, pick the Grandma's Marathon as your race, and answer a few questions about your recent running and your weekly schedule. Stride matches you to one of 14 marathon plans, maps every week from today to June 19, 2027, adjusts when life gets in the way, and puts you in a feed of runners training for the same race.
Choosing a training app?
A Grandma's Marathon buildup is months of your life. See how Stride compares before you commit it to an app.
Find your plan.
Your race, current mileage, recent longest run, goal, and run days determine which plans rank first. Choose one and subscribe, then open every workout in Stride.