“We understand this is going to have a big impact on the community,” said Mandi Peterson, the marathon’s marketing director. It was expected to bring more than 20,000 participants to town - a boost of summer traffic that reliably fills restaurants, hotels and local attractions. Marathon weekend was scheduled to kick off with a 5K on June 19 and the full and half-marathons on June 20. It is the first time organizers canceled the race in its 44-year history. “It is not possible to reallocate necessary community resources to a later date, particularly with the growing uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Shane Bauer, the marathon’s executive director, said in a news release. Race organizers ruled out the idea of postponing the races because of the enormous challenge of planning and preparing for the event. DULUTH – Grandma’s Marathon is calling off its races in June because of the COVID-19 pandemic, canceling a weekend of events that draws thousands of visitors to the city each year.

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