Grandma’s Marathon Running Experts to Provide Pre-race Motivation on Friday

Grandma's Marathon weekend is coming up and if you're going to be one of the runners out there, there will be opportunities to get some last minute motivation.

On Friday, June 17, Grandma's Marathon invites runners and other guests to sit back, relax and get inspired as they listen to this year’s excellent line-up of guest speakers.

Here is Friday's speaker lineup:

• 1:00 p.m. Janis Klecker, former Olympian and 1987 Grandma’s Marathon champion
  Janis Klecker, is an American marathon runner who finished 21st in the marathon at the 1992 Summer Olympics (2:47:17), and was the 1987 women’s national marathon champion at Grandma’s Marathon (2:36:12).
• 2:00 p.m. Wilson Kipsang, former marathon World Record holder
  Wilson Kipsang is the former marathon World Record holder (2:03:23) which he set during the Berlin Marathon in 2013. Wilson also won the bronze medal in the 2012 Olympics in London and is aiming for gold in the Olympics games in Rio de Janeiro. He has run six marathons under 2:05 and has multiple course records under his belt.
• 3:00 p.m. Jeff Galloway, running coach, former Olympian and author
  Jeff Galloway, a former US Olympian and Member of the US National team, is also a coach to over a million runners. He has competed with the world’s best athletes in Europe, Africa, and the former Soviet Union. He broke the US 10-mile record (47:49) in 1973 and has a six-mile best of 27:21.
• 4:00 p.m. Dick Beardsley – Former Grandma’s Marathon course record holder
  Dick Beardsley is known as one of the best marathon runners in U.S. history. Winner of Grandma’s Marathon in 1981 and 1982, Dick held the course record with a time of 2:09:37 for 33 years. His most famous race, however, took place at the 1982 Boston Marathon where he crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 53 seconds, just two seconds behind Alberto Salazar. This personal best is ranked the 11th fastest U.S. men’s marathon time in history.

Admission is free and and all speakers can be heard in Edmund Fitzgerald Hall at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.  It's a great opportunity to learn and be inspired by the best.