Ely Marathon (Duluth, Grand Marais, Hills: 2015, house, campground)

[Packwanderer]

Hey everyone,

In going to run my first and prob last marathon of my life this year. In Sept or Oct. I can't run the TC marathon, so I was looking into the Ely marathon. Anyone here have an experience with it?

Organization? Scenery? Crowd support? Temp? Hills?

Thanks for your help!

I live in St Paul currently.

[demtion35]

That is so interesting, I did not know that there was a race like that in Ely, as for scenery it is probably going to be spetacular with the start of the colors coming? Ely is an awesome place there will easily be a lot of people there, the temps just guessing would be about right not too warm just perfect.
There will be hill of that I am sure. Sorry I do not have any experience with this is Ely though I have been there many many times, often just going there for day trips beings it is close where we live.

The Grandmas Marathon in Duluth would be sort of the same with huge crowds. I hope you run and finish, do well. I hope the weather is good for the event,

Ely Marathon

I know that there has been similiar races off the Gunflint Trail near Trails End



also if that is the route up the Echo Trail you will pass a campground on Fenske Lake. The echo trail is a lonely road which will be very scenic.

Also before Grand Marais there have been trail running races on the SHT these are rugged events.

Some of the best hiking is up in that country
http://www.ely.org/things-to-do/hiking so you can imagine what the race will be like the air will smell so good.

You should pass by several roads that will lead to entry points also. It is so beautiful up there.

[KristyOlson]

Originally Posted by Packwanderer

Hey everyone,

In going to run my first and prob last marathon of my life this year. In Sept or Oct. I can't run the TC marathon, so I was looking into the Ely marathon. Anyone here have an experience with it?

Organization? Scenery? Crowd support? Temp? Hills?

Thanks for your help!

I live in St Paul currently.

Famous last words.... or so they say. I keep saying I will never run a full, and all of my marathon running friends tell me "never say never".

Why are you targeting the Ely marathon, if you don't mind my asking?

[Packwanderer]

I'm not targeting the race in particular. I'm also considering the KC marathon and the Top of Utah marathon in Logan, UT.

It seemed really pretty, but it's a new race, so I was curious if anyone had experience with it.

I ran the Grandma's half marathon last year, and the KC half before, but never a full. We'll see how things go with my first marathon before I commit to any more. I'm looking forward to crossing this off my bucket list.

[wantinfl]

I live here and I use to do a lot of running I'm mostly a cyclists, I started having problems with my back and I had to quit running and I just had surgery on my neck right before the Ely marathon, one of my friends asked to help out by following on my bike but I wasn't able to do so.

However I just went and looked at the route and I bike it a lot, I just don't start up there but I go in and back out on one of my 50 + miler bike rides.

Temperatures can very at this time of the year, this last fall the we just had 2015 we had a long warm fall and we didn't get much below the lower 30's till later December but that's NOT THE NORMAL up here most years we are ice fishing by Thanksgiving. So the best I can say as for weather you need to keep an eye on the forecast and pack accordingly.

I'm assuming that they are business people up to the start at the North Arm, you will start out on a gravel road and it doesn't have any big hills little rollers then it turns to pavement. I think it about 5ish miles then you are going to go down the Echo Trail right turn. (note we locals always say up the Echo Trail but it's hills both ways) this is where you are going to start going up and down hills. You will get to see them all on your water to the starting line.

When you get to the turn at the bottom of the last down hill on the Echo Trail you will be heading east (left turn)
towards Winton here you will have a long steady up hill and a few others but nothing else bad as far as hills go.

The scenery is going to be grate, when you get almost to the top of the big climb where the pavement widens on the Echo Trail you are going to have a beautiful view of Burnside Lake again well another part of it anyways. Also that's your 1/2 way down the Echo Trail mark.

As for the organizers I don't know who put this together other than I only know two or three of them but the Ely Chamber of Commerce should have some information on the Ely website.

The crowd I can'tell say, I wasn't there because of my surgery. As for Ely, it's a divided community and it's not just because of the Mining issues it just is but it's mostly a live and let live place and most people are friendly I've been living up here sense 2005 and my wife is what we call an Elyite she's 147th Elite generation. There is a cool coffee shop called the front porch and a brewery pub called the boat house and some good restaurants. If I were wanting to book a room I'd go with the GEL that's Grand Ely Loge they have an indoors pool there and pretty good food, if you like big outrageous hamburgers than you want to Tyr Stony Ridge and they have little cabins there it you want a more out in the north woods feeling it right on the lake and they have fishing boats as well.

I hope I have been of some help and if you need anything else let me know and I can find out more for you. If I don't get right back then pm me.

[wantinfl]

I meant busing. ^^^