Garry Bjorklund is a Minnesota hometown hero, collegiate All-American, Olympian, Grandma’s Marathon champion, and the namesake of the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon. But before his name was printed on thousands of race shirts, Garry was a kid from Twig, Minnesota, running gravel roads, racing his mom to the mailbox, and learning that running was about much more than winning.

In this episode, host Sally Hed Dahlquist sits down with Garry ahead of the 50th anniversary of Grandma’s Marathon to talk about his roots, his running career, the people who shaped him, and the lasting spirit of the race that still brings him back to Duluth. From a serious foot injury that threatened his future, to the heartbreak of the 1980 Olympic boycott, to the joy of seeing everyday runners cross the finish line, Garry’s story is full of humility, perspective, and deep love for the running community.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Garry first fell in love with running on the roads and trails of Twig, Minnesota
• Why he says “the race begins at halfway”
• The coaches, teammates, neighbors, and friends who shaped his life
• How Garry went from not knowing what a college scholarship was to running for the University of Minnesota
• The impact of legendary coach Roy Griak and teammate Eugene Daly
• What Garry learned from competitors like Steve Prefontaine and runners of every level
• Why he sees running as a family, not a lonely individual sport
• How Grandma’s Marathon became part of Garry’s life and legacy
• Why the finish line matters just as much for everyday runners as it does for elites
• The funny story of the runner who insisted Garry Bjorklund was not Garry Bjorklund
• Garry’s love story with Rhonda, the courage it took to call her, and the “karma” of his Olympic bib number

Whether you’re chasing a personal record, running your first half marathon, cheering from the sidelines, or simply trying to keep moving forward in your own life, Garry’s story is a reminder that running is never just about speed. It’s about friendship, humility, kindness, courage, and the people who help us become who we are.

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In this edition of Sally’s Hotline, we hear from the unstoppable Scott Keenan, runner, organizer, author, community leader, and the original founder and race director of Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. As Grandma’s Marathon celebrates its 50th anniversary, Scott reflects on one of the simplest but most powerful lessons he carried through his years of coaching, race directing, and building a world-class event: stay positive.

Rather than offering complicated advice, Scott shares the same word he gave his East High School runners every day for six years: positivity. Whether you are facing a bad run, a difficult race, a hard season, or a setback in life, Scott’s message is clear. Shake it off, look for something good, and keep moving forward.

This short but powerful tip episode is a reminder that positivity is not about pretending everything is easy. It is about choosing hope, refusing to get pulled under by negativity, and believing that you can still get through what is in front of you.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

• Why Scott’s word of the day was the same for six years
• How positivity helped him coach young runners through bad races and hard days
• Why negativity can pull you down faster if you let it take over
• How looking for something simple and good, like a bird in the sky, can shift your perspective
• Why positivity and hope go hand in hand

Key Takeaways:

• Stay positive, even when the run or the day does not go your way.
• A bad race does not define you. Shake it off and keep going.
• Negativity makes hard things heavier. Positivity helps you move through them.
• Hope matters. Things can get better when you keep moving forward.
• Sometimes the best advice is simple: full steam ahead, damn the torpedoes.

If you want to hear Scott’s full story, including how he founded Grandma’s Marathon in 1977, built it into a world-class race with small-town charm, and helped shape one of Minnesota’s most beloved running traditions, listen to Episode 48 of Unstoppable: Stories That Move.

You can also read Scott’s book, My Journey to Grandma’s Marathon: History and Heroes.

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Unstoppable: Stories That Move is a podcast with a purpose to raise money for medical research to help fund cures for cancer and other diseases. Your support helps move that mission forward.

Donate today at unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com or mail a check to: PO Box 12, Afton, MN 55001, USA

Together, we can save lives.

Host Sally Hed Dahlquist sits down with Scott Keenan ahead of the 50th anniversary of Grandma’s Marathon in 2026. Scott founded Grandma’s Marathon in 1977 with a tiny budget, a $3 entry fee, no permit, and one very big vision: to build a world-class marathon with small-town charm on the beautiful North Shore of Lake Superior.

Scott shares how a small running club race in Duluth, Minnesota grew into one of the most beloved marathons in the country, now bringing thousands of runners to the region and creating a major economic impact for northern Minnesota.

From convincing Olympian Gary Bjorklund to run his first marathon in Duluth, to building international competition, to naming the race after a local saloon, Scott’s story is full of grit, vision, humor, and relentless belief in what this race could become.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Scott founded Grandma’s Marathon at just 23 years old
• Why the first race had a $3 entry fee, a micro-budget, and no official permit
• How Gary Bjorklund helped put Grandma’s Marathon on the map
• Why the race became known for world-class competition and small-town hospitality
• How Grandma’s added the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon to help runners choose the right distance
• The wild logistics of a point-to-point marathon, from buses to trains to gear transport
• The story behind the name “Grandma’s Marathon”
• Why Duluth, Lake Superior, and the running community made this race something truly special

Whether you’ve run Grandma’s, dream of running it someday, or simply love hearing how one person’s vision can grow into a legacy, Scott’s story is a reminder that big things often start small, with a wild idea, a few determined people, and the courage to begin before everything is perfectly ready.

Learn more about Scott’s story in his book:
My Journey to Grandma’s Marathon by Scott Keenan

Inspired?
Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who loves running, Duluth, or a good underdog origin story.

Support Sally’s mission to raise $1 million for medical research:
unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com