Grandmas Marathon

Christopher Raabe crossed the finish line at Grandma's Marathon with a winning time of 2:15:13 Saturday in Duluth. As Christopher Raabe cruised into downtown Duluth Saturday morning, the thousands of spectators lining the Grandma’s Marathon course began chanting, "USA! USA!’’ In Canal Park, cowbells rang out near the finish line as the buzz spread among race fans: an American, and a Minnesota native, was on the cusp of winning the race.

Despite the uproar, Raabe maintained his focus all the way to the line as he became the first American to win Grandma’s Marathon in 14 years. Raabe, a native of Sauk Rapids who ran cross country at North Dakota State, finished in 2 hours, 15 minutes, 13 seconds. The last American man to win Grandma’s was Mark Curp in 1995, and the last Minnesota man to win was Rush City’s Dick Beardsley in 1981 and 1982.

Mary Akor won the women’s race for the third consecutive year, joining Lorraine Moller as the second person to win three Grandma’s in a row. Akor battled Russia’s Alina Ivanova and Kenya’s Janet Cherubon through most of the race before opening up a lead in downtown Duluth to win in 2:36:51. Akor is a naturalized American citizen, and her victory sealed the first American sweep of Grandma’s since 1994.