DULUTH — When registration opened Tuesday night for next year’s Grandma’s Marathon, the destination race along Minnesota’s North Shore, there were 7,500 hopefuls queued up and ready to commit to the mileage.

It made for long wait times for some runners who were logged in for up to 2 hours, though some cruised through the process in under 20 minutes, according to race officials. It also made for a record-setting entry pace. The Garry Bjorklund Half-Marathon is expected to sell out less than 24 hours after it opened. The William A. Irvin 5K could also sell out by the end of the day.

“We had over 11,000 signed up in the first five hours — more than we’ve ever had before,” according to Zach Schneider, the event’s marketing director, who added the servers were also running slow on opening night. “It was the perfect storm. People had to exercise a little patience.”

Grandma’s Marathon and the Garry Bjorklund Half-Marathon are scheduled for June 21, 2025. The William Irvin 5K is June 20.

For those considering the challenge, an entry in the full marathon will be the easiest to secure, with more than 5,000 spots still available. By midmorning Wednesday, there were only about 350 entries left for the half-marathon and 400 for the 5K.

Schneider said a lot of runners took up the sport during the pandemic and, combined with decent weather the past few years, Grandma’s Marathon has consistently filled fast.

“We know our race depends so much on word-of-mouth,” he said. “When we get good weather, people go back and tell family and friends.”

Walz previously said he was in Hong Kong in May 1989 before the massacre, MPR News reported. He also said he was in Hong Kong the day the massacre happened on June 4 during a 2019 radio interview, CNN reported.

However, a photo taken on May 16, 1989 put him in the United States working at the National Guard Armory in Alliance, MPR reported. And a story published in a Nebraska newspaper on Aug. 11, 1989 quoted him as saying he would leave for China that Sunday, more than two months after the Tiananmen Square massacre.

“To watch what happened at the end of the day on June 4 was something that many of us will never forget, we pledge to never forget, and bearing witness and accurate telling of history is absolutely crucial for any nation to move forward,” Walz said during a 2009 congressional hearing to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the massacre.

Walz has also misstated the number of times he’s visited China. The campaign previously said he visited the country more than 30 times. However, MPR reported the campaign now says he was there closer to 15 times.

The discrepancy in Walz’s timeline comes as Republicans have been raising questions about whether Walz’s ties to the country, which has become one of the United States’ top adversaries, is influencing his decision making. The GOP-led House Oversight Committee has launched an investigation into his time there and has asked both the FBI and now the Department of Homeland Security via a subpoena for any relevant information the agencies have on Walz.

Walz on shooting his son witnessed and viral “friend with school shooters” moment

The event, hosted by CBS News, provided another chance for Americans to listen to the candidates ahead of Election Day in November. It also provided ample opportunities for memorable and meme-able moments.

Here are five highlights:

In a challenging moment for Walz, the Minnesota governor was asked to clarify his previous remarks about the time he spent in China in 1989. He’s said he was in Hong Kong during the spring Tiananmen Square massacre, yet MPR and other outlets have reported that he did not visit until later that year. Walz conceded somewhat, saying he hasn’t been perfect and added: “I’m a knucklehead at times.”

At one point in the debate, Vance took issue with a clarification debate moderator Margaret Brennan issued about his remarks on Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio. After Vance blamed “illegal immigration” for many of the Midwest city’s woes, Brennan said many Haitian immigrants in Springfield have legal protected status. To that, Vance said: “The rules were that you guys weren’t going to fact check.”

Moments later, both candidates had their mics cut.

While debating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and its aftermath, Vance said former President Donald Trump peacefully gave power to President Joe Biden two weeks later. Walz asked if Trump lost the election and Vance answered by saying he’s more concerned about administrative censorship on social media platforms.

“Tim, I’m focused on the future,” Vance said.