Gearing Up for Grandma's
Hear inspiring stories leading up to Grandma's Marathon, a 26.2-mile road race along the scenic shores of Lake Superior and finishing in Duluth, Minn. Started in 1977 with only 150 runners, Grandma's Marathon is now the 12th largest marathon in the United States and brings approximately 20,000 participants to northern Minnesota each June. Our podcast is brought to you with the support of Essentia Health. Grandma's Marathon is proudly presented by Toyota, Members Cooperative Credit Union, and ASICS.
Episodes
50 episodes
From Unknown to 12th in the World w/ Dakotah Lindwurm
Dakotah Lindwurm crossed the finish line in Paris as the 12th overall woman and top American in the 2024 Olympic Marathon, solidifying her spot at or near the top of United States distance running.Lindwurm joins the podcast to discuss t...
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Season 4
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Episode 18
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39:46
Living the Olympic Dream w/ Dakotah Lindwurm
2024 US Olympian Dakotah Lindwurm joins the podcast to relive her experience finishing third at the US Olympic Trials in February and share more about her preparation for the upcoming Summer Games in Paris.A two-time Grandma's Marathon ...
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Season 4
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Episode 19
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28:53
Conquering the Mental Battle w/ Riley Saunders
Riley Saunders is one of our 2024 Grambassadors, selected from a large group of applicants to share his passion and knowledge of our race weekend.Saunders joined the podcast to talk about the mental aspect behind distance running, shari...
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Season 4
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Episode 18
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21:09
Discussing Accessibility w/ Michelle Ziebarth
Michelle Ziebarth is one of our 2024 Grambassadors, selected from a large group of applicants to share her passion and knowledge of our race weekend.Ziebarth was diagnosed in the mid 2010s with Chron's Disease and has run in Duluth seve...
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Season 4
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Episode 17
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26:02
Defending a Wheelchair Title in Duluth w/ Jenna Fesemyer
Fresh off top 10 finishes at this year’s Boston Marathon and London Marathon, Fesemyer returns to Duluth this summer as the defending champion in the women’s wheelchair division. Having raced to a 1:47:20 finish last year, Fesemyer...
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Season 4
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Episode 16
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24:36
Tips & Tricks for First-Time Marathoners w/ Hannah Koch
Hannah Koch is one of our 2024 Grambassadors, selected from a large group of applicants to share her passion and knowledge of our race weekend.Hogan joined the podcast to talk about her first-ever marathon, sharing tips and tricks for t...
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Season 4
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Episode 14
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19:22
Coaching Minnesota Distance Elite w/ Chris Lundstrom
Chris Lundstrom is going to Paris!As head coach of Minnesota Distance Elite, Lundstrom gets to work with 2x Grandma's Marathon champion Dakotah Lindwurm, who qualified for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics via a third place finish at the U...
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Season 4
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Episode 13
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46:58
Mental Health & Running w/ Shannon Hogan
Shannon Hogan is one of our 2024 Grambassadors, selected from a large group of applicants to share her passion and knowledge of our race weekend.Hogan joined the podcast to talk about her experience with the mental health benefits of ru...
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Season 4
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Episode 12
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21:19
DNF, DNS & Everything in Between w/ Carrie Rodman
Carrie Rodman is one of our 2024 Grambassadors, selected from a large group of applicants to share her passion and knowledge of our race weekend.Rodman joined the podcast to talk about the dirty, three letter words in running - DNF and ...
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Season 4
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Episode 13
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29:05
Inclusivity & Representation w/ Sarah Stuhr
Sarah Stuhr is one of our 2024 Grambassadors, selected from a large group of applicants to share their passion and knowledge of our race weekend.Stuhr was the first-ever non-binary champion of our Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, finishin...
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Season 4
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Episode 12
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37:59
Preparing for the Olympic Trials w/ Dakotah Lindwurm
Two-time Grandma's Marathon champion Dakotah Lindwurm joins the podcast to talk about her training leading into the 2024 US Olympic Trials, where she will be one of the athletes expected to compete for a spot in the Paris Games.In 2021,...
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Season 4
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Episode 11
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20:24
Preparing for the Olympic Trials w/ Nadir Yusuf
Nadir Yusuf made his marathon debut at the 2023 Grandma's Marathon, running a time of 2:15:26 that was good for 13th place overall and qualified him for the 2024 US Olympic Trials.Yusuf, from Willmar, Minn., attended Minnesota State Moo...
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Season 4
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Episode 10
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27:36
Finding Your "Why" w/ Jacob Oak
Jacob Oak is one of our 2024 Grambassadors, selected from a large group of applicants to share his passion and knowledge of our race weekend.Oak works as a personal fitness and running coach in Minnesota's Twin Cities area, and he watch...
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Season 4
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Episode 9
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27:32
Preparing for the Olympic Trials w/ Lauren Hagans
Lauren Hagans made her marathon debut at the 2023 Grandma's Marathon, and her first-ever race was certainly one to remember. Hagans beat out two-time defending champion Dakotah Lindwurm to win the women's crown, finishing her debut with a time ...
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Season 4
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Episode 8
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33:51
Maximizing Your Miles as a Charity Runner w/ Ally Colton
Ally Colton is one of our 2024 Grambassadors, selected from a large group of applicants to share his passion and knowledge of our race weekend.Colton was in Duluth for the first time for the 2023 Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, setting a...
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34:50
Lessons Learned (Some the Hard Way) w/ Tony Loyd
Tony Loyd is one of our 2024 Grambassadors, selected from a large group of applicants to share his passion and knowledge of our race weekend.Loyd began running late in life and, to himself, said he'd never do it again after running his ...
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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35:05
Nutrition & Crosstraining w/ Shawn Jarvis & Jamie Vesel
Shawn Jarvis and Jamie Vesel are two of our 2024 Grambassadors, selected from a large group of applicants to share their passion and knowledge of our race weekend.Both Jarvis and Vesel have previously participated in Grandma's Marathon ...
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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27:33
Healthy Runners are Happy Runners w/ Cristina Nistler
Essentia Health ATC Cristina Nistler joins the podcast for the first of several installments ahead of the 2024 Grandma's Marathon weekend designed to help keep runners focused on the finish line while avoiding any common injuries and/or medical...
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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13:44
Back of the Pack w/ Carrie Alajoki & Rachel Barger
Carrie Alajoki and Rachel Barger are two of our 2024 Grambassadors, selected from a large group of applicants to share their passion and knowledge of our race weekend.Both Alajoki and Barger have participated in a Grandma's Marathon wee...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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27:24
Surviving Cancer & Life Inside the Marathon w/ Laura Bergen
Laura Bergen began working with Grandma's Marathon in 1999 and, over the past two plus decades, has held a variety of roles within the organization.She is currently the Registration and Expo Director, meaning she's primarily responsible...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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39:41
Breaking the Record of a Hometown Hero w/ Maggie Montoya
Maggie Montoya had no idea, as she rounded the final turn to the finish line, that she was about to break one of the more storied records in Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon history.Just as Duluth native Kara Goucher predicted earlier in t...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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21:04
Season 3, Episode 13 --- Alison Mariella Désir
Alison Mariella Désir has developed into one of the nation's leading voices when it comes to inclusivity and diversity, especially within the endurance sports industry.10 years ago, she founded a group called Harlem Run that has grown i...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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25:29
Season 3, Episode 12 --- Jim Nowak (The Iron 2)
There are only two people to have completed every mile ever run on the Grandma's Marathon racecourse --- John Naslund and Jim Nowak. Together, they're known as "The Iron 2," and both will be back this year trying to complete their 47th trip fro...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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26:01
Season 3, Episode 11 --- Scott Keenan
Founding executive director Scott Keenan makes his second appearance on the podcast, this time to talk about his coming induction into the DECC Athletic Hall of Fame. The official induction ceremony, which will include Kara Goucher...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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30:01
Season 3, Episode 10 --- Carrie Rodman (Training Your Mind)
Carrie Rodman is one of our 2023 Grambassadors and joins the podcast to talk about positive self-talk and how to properly train your mind along with your body ahead of race weekend. Carrie, who last ran in Duluth in 2008, shares some her person...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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25:36