Grandma's Marathon - Expo Recap

Now that work has calmed down and life has returned to normal, time to get back to some race recaps!  Starting with the expo for Grandma's Marathon.

The expo was held in the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center.  It was located about a 10 minute walk from my hotel via the Sky Bridge, which was so nice because it was a lot colder then I expected - only in the high 50's (and it felt cold!).

The way to the expo was well marked and easy enough to find.

Lots of signs marking the way

The space the expo was in wasn't huge, so it did get pretty crowded. 

Lots of people... not a lot of space

The number pickup was at the back (so you had to walk through the expo to get to it).  I decided to go and get my number first and then work my way back.

Number pickup was pretty simple, they had the half and full broken out and then broken out by men and women.  T-shirts were given at the finish line, so it was just a number pick up.  There was no line when I went so it was really easy!

No line!

After number pickup, I made my way through the rest of the expo.  Since the weather was cooler than I expected, I stopped and picked up a throw away long sleeve shirt and some gloves.  I was definitely glad to have them the next day!

After picking up my throw away gear, I headed for the official merchandise.  Something I love about small races - they have a great selection of gear and at reasonable prices!  This race didn't have an official clothing provider, the gear sponsor was an embroidery company so they use pieces from other retailers and added the race logo to it. 

I really don't need running gear but I can't resist race clothing, so I picked up a rain coat instead.  It is a lightweight maroon Eddie Bauer rain jacket with a hood with the logo on it.

This will definitely be put to good use and I love that it is Eddie Bauer so I know it's a quality item (and it was only $45 which I LOVE). 

I also picked up a pin and a mug.  I love getting the pins to add to my medals and the mug is so adorable.  I've been drinking my coffee out of it almost every morning.  It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

The lighthouse is my favorite part

After the official merchandise, I wandered a bit through the rest of the expo.  Did some sampling and window shopping, but managed to resist buying anything else. 

I didn't stay too long at the expo as I really didn't want to be on my feet a long time.  I headed back to the hotel to rest, but not before stopping for one last photo!

I look pretty calm for someone about to run a marathon

Up next - the race!