For the first time in its history, Grandma’s Marathon-Duluth is canceled. The events scheduled for June 19th and 20th have been called off due to COVID-19. The decision comes after careful deliberation by the Grandma’s Marathon staff and board of directors along with medical and public agency leaders. This would’ve been the 44th running of the annual marathon. The marathon’s Executive Director Shane Bauer says “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.” Bauer adds that “it is not possible to reallocate necessary community resources to a later date, particularly with the growing uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.”