• KP Challenge
          • The KP Challenge is a series of three great, local races — Saint Fennessy 4K, Fitger’s 5K, and Park Point 5-Miler — that are strategically placed throughout the year to help participants build their endurance and stick to a regular training schedule.

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    • Saint Fennessy 4K
    • Fitger’s 5K
    • Park Point 5-Miler & 2-Mile Walk
    • Minnesota Mile
    • North End Nightmare 5K
    • Youth Races
    • Volunteer
          • Our kids. Our community. Our future.

            Our tremendous community of volunteers plays a significant role in helping the Young Athletes Foundation to create memorable and successful events for our runners. More than 1,000 volunteers are needed throughout the year to support our fundraising race events for the YAF.

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    • Charity Runners
          • Our kids. Our community. Our future.

            Do you want to run for free AND add more meaning to your miles Sign up ahead of Grandma’s Marathon weekend to be a charity runner for the Young Athletes Foundation (YAF), and your success in reaching the finish line can help someone else reach theirs.

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    • Sponsors
          • Our kids. Our community. Our future.

            The Young Athletes Foundation was created to serve the community, and for more than three decades we have done that with the help of our local and regional business partners. With events throughout the year, our sponsors assist greatly in our mission of  providing pathways of opportunity to youth in athletic programs and encouraging healthy lifestyles.

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  • VISIT Grandma's Marathon

KP Challenge

Registration for the 2023 KP Challenge will open on January 1, 2023.

Registration for the 2023 KP Challenge is now open.

Online registration for the 2023 KP Challenge is now closed.

The 2023 KP Challenge is officially sold out!

Those still interested in participating in any of the three races included in the 2023 KP Challenge can register for those races on an individual basis.

Date
March 18, 2023

April 22, 2023

July 13, 2023

Location
Hermantown, MN

Duluth, MN

Duluth, MN

Start Time
10:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

6:30 p.m.

Entry Fees
NEW Low Pricing in 2023!

  • YOUTH $35

    All participants ages 18 & under

  • ADULT $85

Are You Up for a Challenge?!

We know you don’t shy away from a challenge, so why not take on the KP Challenge?!

With three great YAF races spread out across the early spring and into the summer, the KP Challenge offers a perfect mix of distances and challenges for rookie and veteran runners alike. 

PLUS, new 2023 pricing means you’ll pay the lowest possible entry fees for each of the three races — even when they increase into the second and third tiers. Sign up early, and save big!

The KP Challenge was created in memory of Kevin Peterson, a dear friend of Grandma’s Marathon who lost his battle to pancreatic cancer in 2013. A member of the marathon’s founding organization, the North Shore Striders, Peterson’s involvement with the race continued throughout his life as a Board member and volunteer.

Don't Forget Your Swag!

KP Challenge Fleece Jacket (Storm Creek)

All KP Challenge participants have the opportunity to purchase a commemorative KP Challenge jacket. Orders must be placed by February 23, and jackets will be distributed at the Saint Fennessy 4K.

When details matter, these jackets are just right. Storm Creek’s Diamond Fleece Jacket is artfully engineered, featuring a quilted diamond pattern combined with luxuriously soft fabric. Built to impress, it’s the perfect touch of texture to take your look over the top!

The Races

The Saint Fennessy 4K is the first race of the KP Challenge, offering a fun and festive atmosphere to kick things off with a distance that’s perfect for both beginners or seasoned runners.

The Fitger’s 5K comes second in the the three-race KP Challenge, offering participants a slightly longer distance and a chance to run in one of the most popular spring races in the region.

The Park Point 5-Miler is the longest and most challenging of the three races. Scheduled in mid-July, it’s a great chance to complete your KP Challenge while enjoying a summer evening!

YOUNG ATHLETES FOUNDATION

The Young 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 $1.3 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.