Rachel Barger has proudly been a lifelong "back of the pack" marathoner, but in the buildup to the 2025 Grandma's Marathon she decided to do something she'd never done before.

She decided to really care about her time.

Rachel is teaming up this training cycle with her father, Joe, who has run 35 full marathons in his life, including 24 of those in Duluth. Together, they will be trying to shave nearly an hour off Rachel's exisiting PR this June.

We check in with them both near the start of their journey to talk about how this goal came to be and discuss the work needed to accomplish it, together.

To connect with Rachel or any of our other Grambassadors in the buildup to our 2025 Grandma's Marathon weekend, please see below:

Rachel Barger
   - Instagram @rae.barger
   - Tik Tok @run.rae.run

Meet All of Our 2025 Grambassadors 

Dakotah Lindwurm crossed the finish line in Paris as the 12th overall woman and top American in the 2024 Olympic Marathon, solidifying her spot at or near the top of United States distance running.

Lindwurm joins the podcast to discuss the strategy behind her race, which included (unintentionally, perhaps) leading the field just past the halfway point. She shares details of her life and preparation in Paris for the biggest race of her life, and she also details what might be next in her still growing career --- hint, 2025 Grandma's Marathon seems to be written in pen, not pencil.

The Minnesotan admits she can't call herself an underdog at almost any race she enters from here on out --- that includes the New York City Marathon just under three months from when the episode was recorded. Lindwurm does say her life continues to change, but it's changed less after the Olympics themselves than it did after she made the team in February.

Change is good, though, especially it's because you're now on everyone's radar.

2024 US Olympian Dakotah Lindwurm joins the podcast to relive her experience finishing third at the US Olympic Trials in February and share more about her preparation for the upcoming Summer Games in Paris.

A two-time Grandma's Marathon champion, Lindwurm this year will be competing in the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon as part of her training plan for the Olympics. She will also be making several public appearances during race weekend, giving fans a chance to meet her before she departs for the Olympics this summer.

In 2021, Lindwurm became the first Minnesota woman to win Grandma's Marathon since Janis Klecker in 1987, and then one year later she returned to become just the eighth repeat women's champion and first since Sarah Kiptoo in 2016.

Lindwurm has been a fan favorite each time she's competed in Duluth, thanks in large part to the smile she proudly displays from start to finish.

Riley Saunders is one of our 2024 Grambassadors, selected from a large group of applicants to share his passion and knowledge of our race weekend.

Saunders joined the podcast to talk about the mental aspect behind distance running, sharing his story of going from the 5K and 10K races to full marathons and beyond. Saunders shares what worked for him in overcoming the mental barrier to running longer distances, and he offers some tips and tricks for those participating in this year's Grandma's Marathon.

To connect with and/or follow Saunders in the buildup to our 2024 Grandma's Marathon weekend, please see below:

Riley Saunders
   - Instagram @riley_ders96

Michelle Ziebarth is one of our 2024 Grambassadors, selected from a large group of applicants to share her passion and knowledge of our race weekend.

Ziebarth was diagnosed in the mid 2010s with Chron's Disease and has run in Duluth several years since that time, battling and dealing with the complications that come along with the diagnosis.

She joined the podcast to talk about the many areas of accessibility when it comes to endurance sports and special events - from wheelchairs to other special needs - and the goal of every participant being able to stay true to themselves while at an event like Grandma's Marathon.

To connect with and/or follow Ziebarth in the buildup to our 2024 Grandma's Marathon weekend, please see below:

Michelle Ziebarth
   - Instagram @michellesgottherunz

Fresh off top 10 finishes at this year’s Boston Marathon and London Marathon, Fesemyer returns to Duluth this summer as the defending champion in the women’s wheelchair division. 

Having raced to a 1:47:20 finish last year, Fesemyer broke the tape for the first time at Grandma’s Marathon and will try this year to become the sixth woman to have two or more wheelchair titles in Duluth.

She speaks on why the excitement and energy of Duluth makes Grandma's Marathon her favorite event as well as her Illinois racing team, which includes four-time women's wheelchair champion Susannah Scaroni.

Hannah Koch is one of our 2024 Grambassadors, selected from a large group of applicants to share her passion and knowledge of our race weekend.

Hogan joined the podcast to talk about her first-ever marathon, sharing tips and tricks for those participants set to reach the start line for the first time this June at Grandma's Marathon. Koch shares advice for the buildup to race day and also talks about some of the mistakes she made and things she wished she knew.

To connect with and/or follow Koch in the buildup to our 2024 Grandma's Marathon weekend, please see below:

Hannah Koch
   - Instagram @hannah_koch_