Grandma's Marathon Training Plan, Matched to You
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.
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.
334 days to race day
Grandma's Marathon · June 19, 2027 · about 47 weeks out
Most Stride plans run 12 to 20 weeks. Wherever you are in the window, Stride maps your plan from today to the start line, never from an idealized week one.
14 plans. One that fits how you’ll get to Duluth.
Stride’s marathon plans are built on the most proven training methodologies in the sport, from run-walk first finishes to high-mileage qualifying builds. Stride doesn’t hand you a template; it matches your experience, mileage, and schedule to the plan a coach would have picked, then maps every week from today 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.
Not sure which one is yours? That’s what Stride is for. Download the app and get matched and it picks for you.
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.
Your race is the center of everything.
Every week between now and your start line, planned. Download Stride and start training today.
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