DULUTH – Grandma’s Marathon has nearly doubled its economic impact in the past five years, with the associated events bringing in nearly $40 million of economic activity to the region, according to a study conducted last year by the University of Minnesota Extension.
The weekend — the largest draw of 2024 for Canal Park and nearby Bayfront Festival Park — attracts runners and friends to the city for the marathon and the Garry Bjorklund Half-Marathon, which are run largely along Scenic Highway 61. Events also include the William A. Irvin 5K, set near the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center’s floating museum, two nights of live music, an expo and a spaghetti dinner.
This boost is proof that Grandma’s Marathon is more than just a race, the event’s marketing and public relations director said in a news release.
“Our event weekend has become an economic boon that businesses and employees look forward to each year,” Zach Schneider said. “And that’s certainly a contributing factor in why Grandma’s Marathon is so ingrained into who we are as a community.”
Last year’s races drew almost 18,000 people to the starting lines, marathon officials said Tuesday. It was the largest turnout in history, dating back to 1977.
The University of Minnesota Extension last examined the economic impact of Grandma’s Marathon in 2019. Five years later consumer spending jumped 60%.
As part of a postrace survey Grandma’s Marathon sends to participants, the Extension added to the questionnaire to bolster its study. It found that nearly 90% of the runners are visitors to Duluth, traveling with two to three other people and sticking around for 2½ days. Each person spends more than $176 per day, mostly on lodging, food and transportation.
Those involved with the race events spent about $22 million in Duluth last year, mostly on lodging but also a significant amount on running merchandise both at the event’s fitness expo at the convention center and at stores outside the expo. Grandma’s Marathon spent $3.5 million on last year’s race.
