Behind the Scenes at the 32nd Running of Grandma's Marathon

Transporting 18,000 Runners in a Little Over an Hour

This morning at 6:30am the starting gun was fired, 9,000 runners headed back down the shore of Lake Superior toward Duluth MN. Starting from the half way point of the full length marathon, these runners had a one hour head start over the next race.

Precisely at 7:30am the gun went off a second time to start the full distance marathon further up the shore just outside Two Harbors MN. Running down the scenic route of Hwy. 61, the same route that the half marathon was currently running. This group amounted to another 9,000 runners led by a healthy squadron of seasoned runners that would overtake many of the half marathon runners long before they would reach the finish line.

So how is it that 18,000 runners manage to get to their respective starting positions? Buses, lots and lots of buses. School buses, charter coaches, city transit buses. Handicapped vans, small special needs school buses, even some 9 passenger vans. A total of approximately 208 buses, the largest portion being school buses supplied by Voyager Bus Company of Duluth. Some coming from school districts up the shore, some from other bus companies such as Cloquet Transit. Buses from all around the area were involved.

Voyager Bus Company, with Operations Manager Rudy Lundahl running the show, handles all the logistics work of transporting not only runners, but family, support crew, and even spectators. With a complex, though well organized system that has been developed and perfected over the many years that the race has been taking place. Voyager Bus Company has been in it from almost the start. Back then it was a simple matter of 5 buses hauling about 150 people.

Today the operation takes weeks of preparation, with the commitment of hundreds of drivers and staff members that return annually to work the race. I've driven for the race for the past 4 years, and look forward to a full and very long day each summer.