Staying in Two Harbors, MN edition:
Two Harbors was a perfect place to stay! Seriously, it had everything we needed. Groceries, delicious local restaurants, cute boutiques, cozy coffee shops…and even a brewery that we didn’t make it to! It is a small yet adorable town that has everything we needed for race weekend.
We loved our stay at Superior Shores Resort! Yes, it was a little on the pricey side(I think all places are on race weekend), BUT it was exactly what my runner husband was looking for. He wanted a kitchen so he could make his usual pre-run breakfast and he wanted a bathtub for a pre- and post-run magnesium soak. Our room had a whirlpool spa…so even better than a bathtub! Our room also had a fireplace and the kitchenette was just what we needed. The place was a little dated, but SO very clean. The restaurant on-site, VUE North, was delicious and so convenient. My runner was able to rest up all afternoon and didn’t even have to leave the resort for a tasty meal for dinner. For me…the resort offered a decent fitness room, very nice pools(inside and outside), hot tubs, and a sauna. Bonus: The Lake Superior views were breathtaking! There is also a walking trail to the beach. If he runs this marathon again, this is where we will stay!
The start line is minutes away. My husband loved that we stayed close to the starting area. He got more sleep, had less stress, and didn’t have to deal with early shuttles or downtown crowds. I just dropped him off at Two Harbors High School, just minutes from our resort. He then had a short shuttle ride to the start line. There were obviously lots of people but also lots of porta-potties at the start. I highly recommend staying in Two Harbors.
Spectators: You can’t do it all…trust me, I tried! We had a plan! My friend Ashley and I were going to see our husbands run past us at mile 5, mile 13, mile 19(this was where we would have an LMNT ready for them to drink, and refuel them with anything else they needed to push through the last few miles), and then we would be there at the finish line to cheer them on and I could give my husband a giant hug and kiss. Our plan failed miserably! We made it to mile 5…Andy had already passed, but we got to see Derrick…barely! We hurried ahead to mile 13. We waited and waited but FINALLY got to see both our husbands! We headed back to the car…after quite a hike…to head to mile 19. But the plans quickly changed…traffic, lots of it. Siri was telling us that not only would we not make it to mile 19, but that there’s a good chance we’re not even going to make it to the finish line in time to see our runners cross. So…our plan, completely unrealistic!
You have to choose: Where do you want to see your runner, or where do they want to see you? On the route or at the finish? Traffic between Two Harbors and Duluth was insanely backed up. So plan wisely and decide what is most important to you and your runner.
Cell service is spotty. Life360 and Find My didn’t work. Texts wouldn’t send. A couple of lucky calls made it through. So at least Andy and Derrick knew we weren’t going to be at mile 19 and that there was a big possibility they would be finishing without us there. So, lesson learned, don’t count on having communication during the race. You might…but don’t count on it.
Parking in Duluth is tricky! We had to park a mile from the finish line. And I’m talking we low-key stalked a couple walking to their car…I politely asked if we could follow them so we could snag their parking space. They were super-friendly and thankfully weren’t creeped out by my stalking. On our mile hike to the finish line, we were luckily able to see my Ashley’s husband running, but unfortunately, I didn’t get to see mine. By the time we made it to the finish line, both of our husbands had already crossed the finish line and were enjoying their post-race treats.
What I’d do next time…Give my runner a big good luck hug and kiss when I drop him off at the starting area in Two Harbors. I’d grab some breakfast and a coffee and make my way to Duluth. Get myself a good parking spot, then find a great spot at the finish line.
Marathon Spectator Pro-tip(Even though it was my 1st…this scored big points with my runner!) Surprise your runner! Since I was able to see Andy only once(rather than the 4 times we had planned) I’m so glad that he got to see his surprise. Ashley and I had matching “Marathon Wife” shirts made. We also both had signs of our husbands’ faces to hold so they could spot us easily. This made them both smile and feel loved during the race. We also had some funny signs to make them laugh but we only got to use a couple of them. My advice…be creative on this. It will make lots of marathon runners smile!
Here are some examples:
“You look hot when you run”, “You’re not even close, keep running”, “all this running for a free banana”, “Remember, you paid to do this”, “At least you aren’t at work”, “Is that a gel in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?”, “Smile if you peed a little”.
These are just fun little ways to motivate the runners and encourage them to keep going. Andy was very surprised and appreciative that I did this. He asked how I packed all this without him seeing. Here’s the secret…you know that weird zipper on the inside of your suitcase that’s up against the outer shell? That’s a great spot to hide the signs…and they stay nice and straight.
As a first-time spectator at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, MN, I really had no idea what I was doing. My group had a great plan…that didn’t work out. I wanted to share my post-race, hindsight thoughts to maybe help out another newbie. We made some very rookie moves, but learned from our mistakes and will do better next time. Hopefully, you can learn from our mistakes too. I will say this was a wonderful experience. We had a fabulous weekend in Minnesota and would love to go back.
P.S. One more thing…if you’re catching a flight home in Minneapolis, take note. There is a lot of traffic on the roads from Duluth to Minneapolis. It will take you much longer to drive than you think. Luckily, we took our time and spent an extra night in Minneapolis. We were thankful that we weren’t trying to make a flight on Sunday…we would’ve missed it!
Hebrews 12:1- Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us