Dick Skogg Inducted into Grandma’s Marathon Hall of FameThird of Six Inductees Planned for Class of 2022
(DULUTH, MINN.) — Dick Skogg has been inducted into the Grandma’s Marathon Hall of Fame, the third of six individuals set to be enshrined as the Class of 2022 after making longstanding and meaningful contributions to the race and community.
Skogg has volunteered at every Grandma’s Marathon since the race began in 1977, and he’s now a staple at the finish line as part of the team that welcomes and tends to runners after they complete their race. In fact, he’s the creator of what’s now known as the “Skogginator,” which is a machine that helps volunteers quickly and efficiently deliver HeatSheets to the runners.
“I look at the list of Grandma’s Marathon Hall of Famers, and I’m feeling humbled because all of them are such deserving people,” Skogg said. “I’m just here because my family loves running, runners, and seeing competition. So I’m accepting this award in the name of all the wonderful volunteers that have worked with me through the years.”
Skogg has long been part of the local running landscape, having coached cross country and track and field for more than three decades at Duluth East. His girls cross country teams won five consecutive state championships in the 1990s, a stretch that included future two-time U.S. Olympian Kara Goucher.
“I’m so proud of Coach Dick Skogg, and I’m so happy he’s getting this honor” Goucher said during Skogg’s official induction ceremony. “I was so lucky to have him as a coach for six years. He cultivated my love of running and taught me what it means to be an athlete and a teammate. He changed my life, and he’s changed a lot of people’s lives.”
Skogg was officially inducted into the Grandma’s Marathon Hall of Fame during a virtual ceremony with his wife, Barb, attending, and he joins Rick Recker and Jim Greenfield as the announced members of the six-person Class of 2022.
The remaining members of the Class of 2022, which will be the largest since the Hall of Fame’s inaugural year in 1996, will be named and inducted virtually throughout the buildup to Grandma’s Marathon weekend, set for June 16-18. After all six members are officially inducted, the Grandma’s Marathon Hall of Fame will be made up of 85 individuals, organizations, and municipalities.
A video of Skogg’s official induction ceremony can be viewed at the link below.
Dick Skogg HOF Ceremony — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsr55pAlcsc
ABOUT GRANDMA’S MARATHON
Grandma’s Marathon began in 1977 when a group of local runners planned a scenic road race from Two Harbors to Duluth, Minnesota. There were just 150 participants that year, but organizers knew they had discovered something special. Grandma’s Marathon weekend draws more than 20,000 participants for its three-race event each June.
The race got its name from the Duluth-based group of famous Grandma’s Restaurants, the first major sponsor of the marathon. Over time, the level of sponsorship with the restaurants changed, but the name stayed the same. Grandma’s Marathon-Duluth, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization with a 17-member Board of Directors and a nine-person, full-time staff.
