How Will Grandma’s Marathon Affect Traffic In Duluth? Get Advisory Information For All Of The Races

It's Grandma's Marathon Weekend!  And along with all of the races, activities, and runners comes traffic.  Even though city and marathon officials have planned and prepared, the onset of thousands of extra people in town swell the streets and highways near Canal Park and the downtown area.

So what do you need to know?  In general - plan and drive (and park) ahead of time.  If you're running or watching the race, consider making use of the variety of shuttle services and public transportation options available to get you to where you need to go.

If you will be driving around town this weekend, here are the particulars you need to know about when race events will happen, where it will affect traffic, and what you can do to avoid a congested situation.

• Friday, June 16, 2017:  Friday sees the Fitness Expo and race packet pick-ups at the DECC, starting as early as 10:00 AM.  The Michelina's All You Can Eat Spaghetti Dinner also happens on the DECC Campus, running from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM.  At 12 Noon, the Whipper Snapper Races for Kids happens at Bayfront Festival Park.  The 24th Annual William A. Irvin 5K will occur near the Ore Boat, starting at 6:00 PM.  Afterwards, the full slate of evening entertainment will happen in Canal Park until the late hours of the night (or early hours of the morning - depending on how you see it).
• Saturday, June 17, 2017 is the main event.  Early on, most of the action will be up the North Shore - just south of Two Harbors - where the starting line for the variety of races is.  The Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon starts at 6:15 AM, the Wheelchair Division starts at 7:40 AM, and the 41st Annual Grandma's Marathon rushes the gates at 7:45 AM.  Following the finishes in Canal Park, that area will remain busy throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening with a variety of award ceremonies, concerts, and entertainment.

For a complete list of detours, closures, and suggested drive-around's, click here to visit the Grandma's Marathon Traffic Advisory Page on the City of Duluth's website.