Each year, we accept a number of "race ambassadors" who help us throughout the year spread the word about Grandma's Marathon and help keep the spirit of the race alive in the buildup to June.

Some of this year's "Grambassadors" join us for this podcast to talk about one of their favorite things - Grandma's Marathon! Hear firsthand about their favorite spots on the course, about why the race is different than so many others, and about what their secrets are to a perfect race weekend in Duluth!

CJ Albertson was the men's runner-up at the 2021 Grandma's Marathon, but he may be best-known for his performance a few months later at the 2021 Boston Marathon.

Albertson went to the lead at record pace for the first 20 miles of Boston, but he was eventually caught by the pack and ended up finishing 10th on the day. 

He joins the Gearing Up for Grandma's podcast to discuss his unique approach to road racing, as well as intent to run both Boston and Grandma's again in 2022.

2021 Grandma's Marathon champion Dakotah Lindwurm joins the podcast to talk about her training cycle this year, which includes both Boston Marathon in April and Grandma's Marathon in June.

Lindwurm became the first Minnesota woman to win Grandma's Marathon since Janis Klecker in 1987, and she'll be back in the field this year to try and become just the eighth repeat women's champion and first since Sarah Kiptoo in 2016.

She also talks about her late mom, who still inspires her every time she's on a start line, and discusses some of her favorite off-the-beaten-path things to do in Duluth on race weekend.

Duluth's own Kara Goucher joins the Season 2 debut of "Gearing Up for Grandma's" fresh off making her TV analyst debut for NBC at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. There, she provided commentary of several distance running events, including the women's marathon in which Molly Seidel won just the third-ever Olympic medal in that event.

Goucher is joined by our regular host, Peter Graves, and special co-host for this episode, Chad Salmela, both of whom also have broadcasting experience at the Olympic Games.

Together, they recount what were the 2020 Games and talk tricks of the trade, including Goucher answering which is harder --- becoming an Olympic athlete or an Olympic TV analyst.

Goucher also reminisces on her hometown race, Grandma's Marathon, with her name still etched in history as the women's event record holder of the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon. 

Founder and former executive director Scott Keenan joins the podcast ahead of the 2021 Grandma's Marathon. After helping to start the race in 1977, Keenan retired in 2013 following 37 years at the helm of what's become one of the largest marathons in the United States.

Keenan also has a new book surrounding the race called "My Journey to Grandma's Marathon: Heroes and History" that focuses on several of the other people credited with the creation and the growth of Grandma's Marathon since its humble beginnings.

Duluth Mayor Emily Larson and Lake County Chamber of Commerce President Janelle Jones join the podcast to talk about the municipal support that's required for Grandma's Marathon each and every year.

Mayor Larson and her city staff are integral to the success of Grandma's Marathon weekend, and the planning for each race is truly a year-round process. The city devotes resources, time, energy, and money to the race and has been one of its strongest supporters since the start in 1977.

Jones, meanwhile, is part of the extraordinary start line just outside of Two Harbors. That area has been vital to Grandma's Marathon weekend since the beginning, and the transformation of that area, headed by efforts of the Chamber of Commerce, is always a mini-miracle on race weekend.

Herb Dillon is a longtime volunteer of Grandma's Marathon and has been part of the event's medical team for more than 40 years now.

Dillon has a military background and, after coming off active duty, started working triage with Grandma's Marathon in 1979 and has been back for every race since.

He's now one of the leaders of the weekend's medical team and works primarily at the finish line area with dozens of volunteers to keep participants safe and healthy before, during, and after the race.

Dillon was inducted into the Grandma's Marathon Hall of Fame in 2000, and this year will be working his 43rd race weekend.

Doug Nelson is a longtime volunteer of Grandma's Marathon and has been part of the event's communications team for more than 35 years now.

Doug and his team are responsible for many things on race weekend, including keeping the course clear and communicating any issues that may arise throughout the day.

Inducted into the Grandma's Marathon Hall of Fame in 2017, Nelson also received the Rudy Perpich Public Service Award in 2009. He has the unique claim of being "the last person to finish Grandma's Marathon every year."

Longtime race announcers Peter Graves and Michael Pinocci recount their favorite memories of Grandma's Marathon weekend, as seen from their perch above the finish line in Duluth's Canal Park.

Pinocci placed second in the 1984 full marathon with a time of 2:14:01, and he is a 2004 inductee into the Grandma's Marathon Hall of Fame. He touches on his experience with the race as a runner and as an announcer, as well as his battle with a heart arrhythmia that ultimately ended his competitive running career.

It was a unique set of circumstances that brought Kellyn Taylor to Grandma's Marathon in June 2018, and she arrived in Duluth with something to prove.

After having to withdraw before the halfway mark of a cold and rainy Boston Marathon in April, Taylor was in top shape and now had an opening on her schedule for a Grandma's Marathon appearance.

She ran 2:24:28 to set the event record, breaking the old mark by more than two minutes. Of course, she remembers that day fondly and shares more about the events that led to her record-setting run in Duluth.

She also touches on her Olympic dreams (which may come true sooner than later), being a certified firefighter, and how she balances her professional running career with family life.