Ashley Howard-Larsen and her mother Jane Howard show off their finisher medals for completing the Garry Bjorklund half marathon.
How hot was the 40th running of Grandma’s Marathon? Hot enough that by 11:30 a.m., Race Director Shane Bauer called for the black flags to come out warning runners about the extreme heat and humidity.
The black flags caution runners to slow down and make sure to get enough fluids and walk if they need to cool off. This wasn’t going to be a day to set a PR, finishing would be a great accomplishment. The News- Herald tried to catch up with a few of the locals who participated in this year’s race.
“I knew it was going to be hot when I was driving up the shore to the start,” said Jan Horak of Tofte, who was taking part in his 26th Grandma’s Marathon.
“When I left home it was in the high 50s, then the 60s and by the time I reached Two Harbors it was in the 70s and it was high humidity. I have a bad knee and I walked the whole thing. The humidity was terrible for me and I was in survival mode the whole way.”
Horak was one of several Cook County runners/walkers who took part in the largest Grandma’s Marathon ever held. Despite the rugged conditions, both the marathon and half marathon saw more runners finish than ever before: 7,919 completed the Garry Bjorklund half marathon and 7,521 completed the 26-mile 385-yard marathon.
Close to $1 million was raised this year for the event’s 14 charity partners.
The average finishing time was 4:41.12. Out of the 7,521 finishers there were 3,780 men and 3,410 women.
Despite falling off of her bicycle several weeks ago and breaking her collarbone (and suffering various other injuries), Deb Bennett, Hovland, 57, finished the marathon in 4:18:47. Bennett has run 121 miles in 24 hours so her toughness was never in doubt, but she finished with her right arm tucked close to her chest, an awkward way to run, and that had to slow her finishing time.
Mark Falk, 49, Grand Marais, who ran 880 yards in 2 minutes flat in high school, crossed the line in 4:43:55. Shelly Norman, 57, finished in 6:14:06 and Kathy Bernier crossed the line in 6:53:59.
As for the 68-year-old Horak, he finished in 6:59:06.
“When I finished I stayed around and listened to G.B. Leighton (a rock band) in the big tent. I had so much fun that I missed the last bus taking runners back to Two Harbors. I ended up catching a ride back to my car with the lady that plays Grandma (Leah Hulst) and her three granddaughters. She lives up the shore somewhere so it was on her way home. It’s always an adventure to get back to my car after the race. It was great!”
Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon
Lynne Wiitala, 55, Tofte, finished with a time of 1:55:53 for the 13.1- mile event. Brea Boomer, 23, Grand Portage, finished in 1:58:21.
The Spry family of Grand Portage was led by Trent, 14, who crossed the line in 2:04:26. Jennifer Spry, 36, wasn’t far behind in 2:04:47 and Paul Spry, 41, was two seconds behind his wife.
Jeanne Monson, 39, finished in 2:06:49. Kelly Summers, 53, Grand Marais, finished in 2:32:24 in her first half marathon ever. Shauna Wood, age 43, Grand Portage, ran 2:45:54.
Proving that Type 2 diabetes can’t stop her, Daphne Lacina, 15, finished in 2:53:31, just ahead of her mother Amy, 39, who came across in 2:5:39.
Former Grand Marais resident (this reporter’s daughter) Ashley Howard-Larsen finished in 3:26:58 and had to have her feet bandaged at the medical tent due to extreme blistering. Next year she said she would try to get out for at least one training run before the race. Her mother and former Cook County News-Herald writer Jane Howard finished in 3:29:25.
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