Essentia Health Prepared For Grandma’s Marathon

DULUTH, Minn. — With Grandma’s Marathon happening Saturday, Essentia Health is preparing for any possible injuries or emergencies that could happen.

They have many medical tents set up. As well as ski patrol, EMT’s on bikes, multiple ambulances and first aid stations all around the course. This is to make sure runners don’t have to go far if they need help.

An Essentia Health doctor says one of the most common issues they respond to is heat illness. She says to make sure you don’t just stop at the finish line.

“We have the chute designed so that you keep on moving through and that’s for a purpose. So, keep walking until you feel like your heart rate’s come back down and you’re feeling more recovered,” said Kathryn Mclellan, orthopedic doctor at Essentia.

Tips the Essentia Health officials give include to only drink water when you’re thirsty as you can overhydrate. They also say to make sure you get enough rest and stick to your running plan.

The athletic trainer recommends bringing any medications you may need with you.

“We are very well prepared; we do have lots of medications on the course and in the finish line tent. But we can’t have every possible thing that someone might need, so if a runner has something that they know they might need, they should plan to have that on their person,” said Christina Nistler, an Essentia athletic trainer.

The Garry Bjorklund half marathon starts at 5:50 a.m. Saturday with the full marathon at 7:35 a.m.