Gearing Up for Grandma's

Minnesota native and former US Olympian Carrie Tollefson has been involved with Grandma's Marathon for more than a decade, serving most recently as lead analyst for the women's marathon for our radio broadcast. Tollefson works primarily on race day with Chad Salmela, who has Olympic experience of his own in the broadcast booth. Together, they are part of a star-studded media team each ye...

Each year, we accept a number of "race ambassadors" who help us throughout the year spread the word about Grandma's Marathon and help keep the spirit of the race alive in the buildup to June. Some of this year's "Grambassadors" join us for this podcast to talk about one of their favorite things - Grandma's Marathon! Hear firsthand about their favorite spots on th...

The use of CBD by runners to aid in their training and recovery has exploded over the past several years, and it's led to a lot of different opinions about what's best for your body and how to properly choose from and use the many products on the market. Nature's Gem CBD & Wellness has been a major sponsor of Grandma's Marathon since 2019, and founder Lisa Baskfield has a v...

Each year, we accept a number of "race ambassadors" who help us throughout the year spread the word about Grandma's Marathon and help keep the spirit of the race alive in the buildup to June. Some of this year's "Grambassadors" join us for this podcast to talk about one of their favorite things - Grandma's Marathon! Hear firsthand about their favorite spots on th...

CJ Albertson was the men's runner-up at the 2021 Grandma's Marathon, but he may be best-known for his performance a few months later at the 2021 Boston Marathon. Albertson went to the lead at record pace for the first 20 miles of Boston, but he was eventually caught by the pack and ended up finishing 10th on the day.  He joins the Gearing Up for Grandma's podcast to discuss his uniq...

2021 Grandma's Marathon champion Dakotah Lindwurm joins the podcast to talk about her training cycle this year, which includes both Boston Marathon in April and Grandma's Marathon in June. Lindwurm became the first Minnesota woman to win Grandma's Marathon since Janis Klecker in 1987, and she'll be back in the field this year to try and become just the eighth repeat women'...

Duluth's own Kara Goucher joins the Season 2 debut of "Gearing Up for Grandma's" fresh off making her TV analyst debut for NBC at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. There, she provided commentary of several distance running events, including the women's marathon in which Molly Seidel won just the third-ever Olympic medal in that event. Goucher is joined by our regular host, Peter Gr...

Founder and former executive director Scott Keenan joins the podcast ahead of the 2021 Grandma's Marathon. After helping to start the race in 1977, Keenan retired in 2013 following 37 years at the helm of what's become one of the largest marathons in the United States. Keenan also has a new book surrounding the race called "My Journey to Grandma's Marathon: Heroes and History&q...

Duluth Mayor Emily Larson and Lake County Chamber of Commerce President Janelle Jones join the podcast to talk about the municipal support that's required for Grandma's Marathon each and every year. Mayor Larson and her city staff are integral to the success of Grandma's Marathon weekend, and the planning for each race is truly a year-round process. The city devotes resources, time,...

Herb Dillon is a longtime volunteer of Grandma's Marathon and has been part of the event's medical team for more than 40 years now. Dillon has a military background and, after coming off active duty, started working triage with Grandma's Marathon in 1979 and has been back for every race since. He's now one of the leaders of the weekend's medical team and works primarily at...

Doug Nelson is a longtime volunteer of Grandma's Marathon and has been part of the event's communications team for more than 35 years now. Doug and his team are responsible for many things on race weekend, including keeping the course clear and communicating any issues that may arise throughout the day. Inducted into the Grandma's Marathon Hall of Fame in 2017, Nelson also received...

Longtime race announcers Peter Graves and Michael Pinocci recount their favorite memories of Grandma's Marathon weekend, as seen from their perch above the finish line in Duluth's Canal Park. Pinocci placed second in the 1984 full marathon with a time of 2:14:01, and he is a 2004 inductee into the Grandma's Marathon Hall of Fame. He touches on his experience with the race as a runne...

It was a unique set of circumstances that brought Kellyn Taylor to Grandma's Marathon in June 2018, and she arrived in Duluth with something to prove. After having to withdraw before the halfway mark of a cold and rainy Boston Marathon in April, Taylor was in top shape and now had an opening on her schedule for a Grandma's Marathon appearance. She ran 2:24:28 to set the event record, bre...

Nell Rojas was the 2019 Grandma's Marathon champion, running a time of 2:28:06 in just her second-ever marathon. That time qualified her for the 2020 US Olympic Trials, where she finished ninth. Now, Rojas has her sights set firmly on again qualifying for the Trials and earning a spot on the US Olympic Team. She talks about those career plans as well as an affinity she's developed for th...

Wendy (Hovland) Cregg was the first-ever women's champion at Grandma's Marathon, winning the 1977 race with a time of 3:23:39.  Only 18 years old at the time, Grandma's was the first and only marathon for the then-Wendy Hovland, though she does still enjoy casual running. In 2019, Cregg was presented with the Scott A. Keenan Founder's Award, which recognizes an exemplary person...

Longtime Duluth News Tribune reporter Kevin Pates relives his 37 years covering Grandma's Marathon, remembering fondly his time working alongside some of the best running talent to visit the shores of Lake Superior. From telling tale about Lasse Viren, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, to explaining his affinity for detail in his own stories and in others, Pates goes back through nearly four...

Longtime Grandma's Marathon record-holder Dick Beardsley joins the podcast to talk about a variety of topics, all stemming from his love of running. Beardsley touches on his inauspicious start in the sport, the year his Grandma's record was beaten by Dominic Ondoro, and his "Duel in the Sun" with Alberto Salazar at the 1981 Boston Marathon. He also dives into more serious thing...