DULUTH, MN (KDAL) – Despite some early thunderstorms, a half hour delay of the Saturday morning start and the threat of hot weather, it was the largest Grandma’s Marathon weekend ever. The three races, the 5-K, half marathon and full marathon had a total of 18,317 finishers.
The winner of the marathon, Joel Reichow, with a time of 2:11:58, became the first person to ever win both the marathon and half marathon in Duluth and also was the first American and Minnesotan to win Grandma’s Marathon since 2009. The women’s division was won by Lilian Chebii from Kenya, running just her 2nd marathon ever with a time of 2:25:14.
In the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon, Murphy Smith, also making his first appearance in Duluth, finished with a time of 1:02:49, more than a minute faster than the second place finisher. On the women’s side of the half marathon, Annie Frisbie, who set the record last year, topped the field again this year with a time of 1:09:05.
On Friday, the William Irvin 5-K found Mason Shea winning in the men’s division for the third time while the youngest ever champion, 13 year old Mackenzie Myran, finished first on the women’s side.
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