Lately, I’ve been tracking which marathons are selling out and how early they’ve reached capacity. Last week, another race joined that list in record time. The 2026 Grandma’s Marathon sold out in less than twenty four hours.
Over the summer, I noted that the race had been selling out more quickly in each of the last few years. So it wasn’t a shock that the race sold out even earlier this year. But it was a bit jarring that it sold out that quickly.
It’s reminiscent of 2010, when the Boston Marathon reached capacity in a single day, or 2013, when the Chicago Marathon website crashed and they implemented a lottery. There have been a few other surprisingly quick sellouts recently – notably Miami and Detroit – but nothing quite like this.
Is this just a fluke – or is it a sign of things to come?
When Has Grandma’s Marathon Sold Out in the Past?
Like many other marathons, Grandma’s peaked in the mid 2010’s and then saw a relative decrease in demand in the years before COVID. The 2016 race sold out on December 31 – which was a record at the time. Although it was still quite popular, it did not reach capacity in the next three years.
That changed when racing started up after again after COVID. The race has sold out every year since 2022, and it’s been selling out faster each year. Here’s a quick run down on when the race sold out the last few years.
| Year | Sell Out Date | Race Date | Days Before Race |
| 2019 | – | 6/22/2019 | – |
| 2022 | 5/22/2022 | 6/18/2022 | 27 |
| 2023 | 3/23/2023 | 6/17/2023 | 86 |
| 2024 | 1/05/2024 | 6/22/2024 | 169 |
| 2025 | 11/06/2024 | 6/21/2025 | 227 |
| 2026 | 10/02/2025 | 6/20/2026 | 261 |
Just a few years ago, in 2022, there was still capacity a month before the race. Over the next few years, the race sold out quicker and quicker each year.
A week before registration opened on October 1, the organizers put out a press release warning people that interest would be high for the 50th anniversary. “Wait until October 2, and you may be too late,” said their Marketing and Public Relations Director Zach Schneider.
I thought that might have been a bit of hyperbole. But when registration did open on the night of October 1, I was watching TV. I absent mindedly checked social media – and the 5k and the half marathon were already sold out. There were still a few spots in the mara thon when I went to sleep that night, and registration was open when I woke up in the morning.
But by the time I got back from my run, the full marathon was completely sold out. In well under 24 hours.
Since this was the 50th anniversary of the race, that may have added a little fuel to the fire. I asked Zach Schneider if they expected things to calm down next year. He thought that realistically, they probably would. But “the secret’s out, so October 1 should be a busy day for us again next year.”
He also indicated that at this time, they had not discussed changing the registration process to include either a lottery or qualifying times for guaranteed entry. But you have to wonder if that will change if next year ends up being just as crazy as this year.
How Big Is Grandma’s Marathon?
In it’s long history, Grandma’s Marathon has had two periods of rapid growth. From the late 1970’s to the early 1980’s, it grew from a small race to one with thousands of runners. In the late 1990’s, it shot up again to well over 5,000 finishers.
By 2000, there just over 6,000 finishers. The next year, that increased to almost 7,000, and the race plateaued at that point. From 2009 to 2015, the number of finishers was down slightly (~6,000), and then in 2016 came the last big anniversary.
That year saw a spike to 7,500 finishers and a sold out crowd. Then, things receded again slightly leading into COVID. For the last two years, though, the number of finishers has returned to that all time high of ~7,500.
This year, the organizers increased capacity for the marathon. But they were only able to do so by shifting 500 spots from the half marathon.
According to Schneider, the logistics of the race – including available lodging and bussing as well as space on the race course – prevent them from increasing the overall size in any significant way.
So while this year’s race will see a few hundred additional finishers, there’s no room for further growth in the future. Unless demand goes down, this will remain a hot ticket – and a sold out race.
What Makes Grandma’s So Special?
Grandma’s Marathon has a lot going for it. It’s a fast race that attracts a fast field. Along with CIM, it’s one of the top races for runners looking to notch an OTQ. It’s also one of the few big races in June – outside the usual April and October windows for marathons.
When I asked Schneider if there were any notable trends in who was registering for the race, he responded with something that I didn’t expect – around 80% of the finishers are locals from Minnesota or Wisconsin. As popular as this race is, you’d think there’d be more out of towners filling up the field.
But it certainly is popular with runners in the area. I was just in Minneapolis last weekend for Twin Cities, and I lost count of the number of times I happened to overhear someone mention Grandma’s Marathon. My aunt and uncle – who are very much not runners – both asked me if I wanted to run it. They live in Minneapolis, so to them Twin Cities is “the marathon.” But they’re still quite aware of Grandma’s.
If you missed out on registration, you might still be in luck. Bibs are still available through their charity partners. And after October 15, it will also possible to transfer bibs through RaceRoster. Closer to race day, you may find some people trying to get rid of bibs they can no longer use. More details are available on their website.