Fitger’s 5K
Registration for the 2023 Fitger's 5K will open on January 1, 2023.
Registration for the 2023 Fitger's 5K is now open.
Online registration for the 2023 Fitger's 5K is now closed. In-person registration is available on Friday and Saturday, April 21-22 during packet pickup.
Date
April 22, 2023
Start Time
9:00 a.m.
Location
Duluth, MN
Capacity
1,500
Entry Fees
NEW Tier Pricing in 2023!
-
YOUTH $15
All participants ages 18 & under
-
ADULT $35 | $40 | $45
January 1-January 15 | January 16-March 31 | April 1-Race Day
Packet Pickup & In-Person Registration
Friday, April 21 | 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. @ Fitger’s Complex
Saturday, April 22 | 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. @ Fitger’s Complex
2023 Fitger's 5K
Our normal "welcome to spring" race turned into a "goodbye winter" run, but close to 1,000 participants once again proved that bad weather is no match for their determiniation and resolve.
A Sprint into Spring!
The iconic Fitger’s 5K has grown into one of the state’s premier spring races, offering a perfect challenge for runners of all ages and abilities while taking participants on a scenic tour of newly-renovated downtown Duluth.
PLUS, don’t miss our Grandma’s Marathon blowout sale before, during, and after this year’s race inside the Fitger’s complex. Enjoy lower-than-ever prices on Grandma’s Marathon and YAF swag items!
The iconic Fitger’s 5K has grown into one of the state’s premier spring races, offering a perfect challenge for runners of all ages and abilities while taking participants on a scenic tour of newly-renovated downtown Duluth.
PLUS, don’t miss our Grandma’s Marathon blowout sale before, during, and after this year’s race inside the Fitger’s complex. Enjoy lower-than-ever prices on Grandma’s Marathon and YAF swag items!
The iconic Fitger’s 5K has grown into one of the state’s premier spring races, offering a perfect challenge for runners of all ages and abilities while taking participants on a scenic tour of newly-renovated downtown Duluth.
PLUS, don’t miss our Grandma’s Marathon blowout sale before, during, and after this year’s race inside the Fitger’s complex. Enjoy lower-than-ever prices on Grandma’s Marathon and YAF swag items!
START & FINISH LINE
Fitger's Complex
600 East Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55802
The Fitger’s 5K course starts and finishes just outside the historic Fitger’s Complex in downtown Duluth. Participants will travel westward toward the Sheraton Hotel, where they will then divert to Michigan Street and continue toward The Depot.
The racecourse then turns to onto 5th Avenue West, circles around the DECC on Harbor Drive, and returns to the Fitger’s complex using Duluth’s Lakewalk.
The Fitger’s 5K all-time men’s event record is held by Joe Moore, who finished the 2003 race with a time of 14:53. The women’s event record is owned by Katie Koski, who ran 17:48 in the 2012 race.
No pets, motor vehicles, bicycles, handcycles, hand-cranked wheelchairs, roller skis, inline skates, or unregistered participants are allowed on the racecourse.
Baby joggers and strollers are allowed at YAF events but must start in the back of the corral.
Pushrim wheelchair competitors, duo teams, and other adaptive athletes are encouraged to participate but must follow all Wheelchair & Adaptive Program Guidance. NOTE: Adaptive athletes are asked to contact Race Director Greg Haapala via phone at (218) 727-0947 prior to registering so that all reasonable accommodations can be provided.
START & FINISH LINE
Fitger's Complex
600 East Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55802
The Fitger’s 5K course starts and finishes just outside the historic Fitger’s Complex in downtown Duluth. Participants will travel westward toward the Sheraton Hotel, where they will then divert to Michigan Street and continue toward The Depot.
The racecourse then turns to onto 5th Avenue West, circles around the DECC on Harbor Drive, and returns to the Fitger’s complex using Duluth’s Lakewalk.
Free parking is available for race participants and spectators in the Fitger’s parking ramp.
Access in/out of the ramp will close for the race at 8:45 a.m. and will re-open to/from the west (Lake Avenue side) at approximtely 9:15 a.m.
Access to/from the east (10th Avenue East side) will re-open at approximately 9:30 a.m.
Superior Street will be closed between 3rd & 8th Avenues East starting at 8:15 a.m. Local traffic will be allowed from 8th Ave E to the Portland Malt Shoppe.
Michigan Street will be closed between 4th & 5th Avenues East will be closed beginning at 8:30 a.m. until approximately 10:00 a.m. Access to and from Interstate 35 will be available on 5th Avenue West, and motorists are asked to proceed slowly.
Harbor Drive around the DECC will be closed from 8:30 a.m. until approximately 9:45 a.m. Vehicles will be able to enter the DECC parking lot during the races via the North Gate on Railroad Street or the East Gate on Harbor Drive coming from Railroad Street, but must exit via the parking ramp onto Railroad Street until 9:45 a.m.
By approximately 9:45 a.m. all race participants are expected to be on the Baywalk and the paved sections of the Lakewalk, which they will take to the finish on the Lakewalk below Fitger’s. Pedestrians are asked to use the boardwalks, look out for race participants and follow volunteer instructions.
All roads will be opened to traffic as soon as participants are clear and DPD determines it is safe to do so.
The Fitger’s 5K all-time men’s event record is held by Joe Moore, who finished the 2003 race with a time of 14:53. The women’s event record is owned by Katie Koski, who ran 17:48 in the 2012 race.
No pets, motor vehicles, bicycles, handcycles, hand-cranked wheelchairs, roller skis, inline skates, or unregistered participants are allowed on the racecourse.
Baby joggers and strollers are allowed at YAF events but must start in the back of the corral.
Pushrim wheelchair competitors, duo teams, and other adaptive athletes are encouraged to participate but must follow all Wheelchair & Adaptive Program Guidance. NOTE: Adaptive athletes are asked to contact Race Director Greg Haapala via phone at (218) 727-0947 prior to registering so that all reasonable accommodations can be provided.
2023 Finisher Medal
It’s back! Each finisher at the 2023 Fitger’s 5K will receive a commemorative medal at the completion of the race.
2023 Long Sleeve Shirt
Included with 2023 participant entry fee.
2023 Finisher Medal
2023 Long Sleeve Shirt
Race Day is Earth Day
With the 2023 Fitger’s 5K falling on Earth Day, Grandma’s Marathon-Duluth, Inc. and the Young Athletes Foundation (YAF) have announced plans to make it a zero-waste event.
Included for the 1,500-person race will be several initiatives aimed at curbing the local event’s impact on the environment:
- Participant shirts, made by Leslie Jordan, will be made of recycled polyester.
- 3,000 reusable cups, provided by Hiccup, will be available to participants at a mid-race water station and the finish line.
- Compostable post-race refreshments available to participants will be bananas (Super One Foods), Old Dutch chips (Project Nice), and race rolls (Great Harvest).
- Waste sorting stations and a bike valet will be available throughout the event.
- Age division award winners will be presented with marigold flower boxes.
YOUNG ATHLETES FOUNDATION
The Athletes Foundation (YAF), the charity arm of Grandma’s Marathon, was created in 1990 to assist with the promotion and development of healthy and active lifestyles for youth throughout Carlton, Cook, Douglas, Lake, and St. Louis Counties. Since its inception, the YAF has donated more than $1.1 million to the community’s youth athletic, recreational, and nonprofit organizations.
If you are interested in volunteering for any of our Young Athletes Foundation (YAF) events or have any other questions, please contact our Program Director Alivia Nelson via email at [email protected] or call our office at (218) 727-0947.