Press Release - Grandma's Marathon - 3/31/20

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                   Grandma's Marathon Has Been Cancelled

               Race Weekend was scheduled for June 19-20, 2020

(Duluth, Minn.): Grandma's Marathon–Duluth, Inc. has cancelled their 2020 
race weekend of events scheduled for June 19-20, 2020, due to the 
unpredictability of the COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) pandemic. The decision 
comes after careful deliberation by the Grandma's Marathon staff and board 
of directors along with medical and public agency leaders in an effort to 
keep participants, volunteers, partners, spectators and the community as a 
whole safe during the pandemic and not detract valuable resources away from 
local health systems.

Race Weekend would have marked the 44th annual Grandma's Marathon. This 
year will be the first time in the history of the organization that race 
weekend is cancelled.

"Taking into account all of the planning and preparation that is 
coordinated within the organization and with partners in the community, 
unfortunately, postponement was not a viable option," explains Shane Bauer, 
executive director of Grandma's Marathon, a Minnesota nonprofit 
organization. "It is not possible to reallocate necessary community 
resources to a later date, particularly with the growing uncertainty of the 
COVID-19 pandemic."

With the majority of registered participants well into their training 
programs, the organization plans to recognize the time, effort and 
commitment that runners have already put forth by providing alternative 
offerings to registrants including a Virtual Race option, discounts on the 
2021 Grandma's Marathon Weekend Races and special offers from some of their 
valued sponsors. Complete details can be found on the Grandma's Marathon 
website and were emailed out to all registered participants.

The 45th Anniversary Race Weekend will take place next year on June 18-19, 
2021.

For more information, visit www.grandmasmarathon.com/covid19.

                                     ###