The course was well staffed with aid stations throughout offering water, Gatorade and gels. It was only for about 2 miles, but at mile 21, that’s a big deal! I was comfortable with the wind speed, until I hit Belle Isle, where I was challenged by a relentless headwind as I made the loop back into town. Although, as all Chicagoans know, the wind is nothing to take for granted. It was a chilly morning with a mild headwind. Runners left Belle Isle to finish the Marathon on city streets and circle back to the start line. In addition to the unique aspects of running a marathon that crosses International borders, this race also routes runners onto Belle Isle, an island owned entirely by the City of Detroit and managed as a state park. It was overly clear that Detroit residents fully supported the runners taking over their community for the morning. Residents were out in abundance offering food and drink from their own homes and cheering on the crowds of runners. This border crossing experience is reason enough to run the Detroit Marathon.įollowing the tunnel, runners looped back through the downtown area, running by city landmarks and through neighborhoods. This tunnel literally goes underneath the Detroit river and was shut down to vehicular traffic as runners crossed into the United States. Runners then ran the streets of Canada for a few miles before turning into the Detroit-Windsor tunnel to re-enter the U.S. It was breathtaking to run over this landmark just as the sun was rising. The bridge is just under a mile and showcases the beauty of Detroit and Windsor. Participants had to run with their passports and border agents watched like hawks to ensure that all runners had their bibs displayed. Runners were seeded into corrals based on anticipated finish time and released every two minutes to avoid course congestions.Īfter the first two miles of the course, runners had the unique opportunity to run across the Ambassador Bridge into Canada. The full Marathon and International Half Marathon both started promptly at 7 a.m. And, there was a booth full of amazing ambassadors ready to answer any questions racers had. Packets included a detailed race map with information about corrals, courses and parking. Runners were kept up-to-date with constant communication via email leading up to race day. However, Detroit Marathon staff produced an extremely well-organized and executed event. With over 26,000 runners, a full and half International course and a half domestic US-only course, the logistics sounded overwhelming. On Sunday, the Detroit Marathon held its 41 stannual race. As a participant in the 1 mile, 5K and marathon, I was considered a “Supreme Challenge” runner and earned three race shirts, three race medals, and an extra medal noting my participation in all three races. I ran both races and enjoyed the opportunity to see a portion of the marathon course before race day. ![]() ![]() ![]() Many runners who prefer shorter distances came out to enjoy the morning. On Saturday, the Detroit Marathon offered a competitive 1 mile, 5K and kid’s fun run. Packets were full of goodies, including a good-looking race technical t-shirt, and the expo was full of great vendors and information, even including a booth of puppies from the Michigan Humane Society. Marathon weekend began on Friday when the Expo opened at the Cobo Center in downtown, Detroit’s equivalent to McCormick Place in Chicago. Just a five hour drive from Chicago, this marathon is a must-do! An international marathon, the Detroit Marathon crosses the Ambassador Bridge into Canada, giving runners bragging rights of running in two countries during the course of a full or half marathon. ![]() The 41 stAnnual Detroit Free Press/Chemical Bank Marathon was held this past weekend in Detroit, Michigan, and I was lucky enough to be a part of it.
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