Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Lisa R.
Clinton Twp, MI

  (03-20-2010)

"I have ran this race every year (except 2004 and 2006 - pregnant!) since 1997.

Detroit has loads to offer. The Bridge to Canada, the under-mile tunnel back to the USA. The riverwalk, Belle Isle, and Indian Villege!

The weather the past few years have been GREAT for a marathon.

There is nothing to be afraid of if you do come here. Detroit is a GREAT city!"

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Steve M.
Westland, MI

  (11-17-2009)

"I really enjoyed the 3rd running race of my life. Wearing the Green First Timer Number made me stand out, but at the end, it kept me from quitting. Can't wait to do it next year."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Danielle R.
Mendon, MI

  (10-29-2009)

"This was my first race in Detroit and my first half-marathon. I have ran several other small races in the past but started training late summer for a half-marathon and decided to run it in Detroit. It was a great race and full of spirit and excitement. I was very pleased with the race. The only comment I had in regards to the route is the crowdiness and cramp-liked feelings before and during the bridge into Canada. It made it very hard to get a consistant pace going. I will definately be running this race in 2010. "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Mary Ann S.
Novi, MI

  (10-27-2009)

"This was my first Detroit Freepress/Flagstar Half Marathon and I enjoyed the course. I thought running over the Ambassador Bridge to Windsor and through the tunnel back into Michigan were cool. The sunrise on the bridge was a nice sight! And coming out of the tunnel into downtown Detroit was great at that point because of the amount of spectators in that area! Also, for me running through parts of Detroit for the half marathon course brought back many childhood memories...I grew up there through my preteen years.

I thought it was nice that the Cobo Center was open...great to be able to stay warm until the start of the race.

A couple of things that could be improved. I encountered a slow down getting to the bridge, I think the taped off area should be a wider for the runners and also I would have preferred that the full and half marathoners start separately. And oh the shirt sizes were on the "small" side.

Will I run the race again...absolutely! "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Jonathan L.
Duluth, MN

  (10-23-2009)

"I'm running this race again next year because I love Detroit, I love Windsor, and I feel good about doing something to help jump start the local economy there. My stay in Windsor was wonderful. The marathon itself was pretty exciting, particularly the run over the Ambassador Bridge. The running part of the marathon is old hat to be because I've run many marathons and at this point I pay finer attention to details - for one, this is a lonely marathon compared to Chicago or Minneapolis - many people didn't even know there was a race going on that day and more than once I saw cars driving on the race course nearly hitting a runner. Starting half and full marathoners together is absolute madness - take a note from Grandma's Marathon where they start their half-marathoners at mile 13 so there's no crossover and both groups get to cross the 'finish line'. The worst part of this experience was dealing with the race management - I paid a LOT of money to get to and from Detroit and this race meant a lot to me. I know this is nitpicky but the shirt I was given did not fit correctly, I called and e-mailed the woman who heads the race and explained that (after reading all the comments on Facebook with other participants complaining about the same thing) I offered to buy a larger shirt (which I shouldn't have had to do) and arrived back in Duluth to a very rude message on my answering machine basically telling me that I got the shirt I got and they aren't going to give or sell me another one. That's the thanks I get for throwing a little business towards one of America's worst economies? I had half a mind to write a letter to the editor about that experience but I figured it was a waste, I should be happy with my trip and the medal (which was beautiful) and the WONDERFUL people of Detroit/Windsor who braved the cold to cheer us on. So if you can, DO THIS RACE! For one thing, it will change your stereotypes of Detroit. I love this city. I met some of the friendliest people along the course and afterwards. And again, I look forward to my trip in 2010. "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Kelly C.
newport, MI

  (07-10-2009)

"This is a nice nice course except I do have a bone to pick with the advertisers. This course is advertised as flat. Um...the Ambassador Bridge to Canada is on the course. Not so flat. Also you obviously have to get back to Detroit which you do by running the Detroit Windsor Tunnel. Let's just think about this for a second. When you run down, way down under the water (you know so the big giant boats can float above you)eventually you will have to run way up to come out too. So yeah, that would also be a pretty nice hill. Now if the bridge and the tunnel were the only up and downs, I'd say ok we'll go with fairly flat. But no, like twice I asked my husband "are we to the bridge now?" thinking that was going to be my only major enemy on the course and we were only running uphill on an overpass. All I'm saying here is do not be fooled by the skillfully crafted fast, flat, Boston qualifier advertisements. I'm not saying you won't qualify for Boston, I'm just saying it is NOT flat so prepare yourself. A couple of my friends who had run Chicago, had the life sucked right out of their legs because they had done NO hill training. You might want to do at least a little.

So now that the official hill talk is out of the way, it is very sweet running over the bridge early in the morning and the fasties up in front even get to see the sunrise. The tunnel is also a pretty cool experience. This is the only course in the world that gives you an underwater mile time. So everybody runs like hell to make it as fast as they can. And man is that tunnel loud with everybody, hootin' and hollerin'.

The Canadian part of the course is just gorgeous. When you get back, there's a part that you'll run on cobblestone which is kind of neat and a little tricky to run on. Keep an eye out for potholes. Belle Isle pretty much sucks due to wind and virtually no fans, but near the end you run through a pretty ritzy neighborhood where they'll all be coming out to cheer you on and hand out any number of goodies including BROWNIES and BEER (at least they did the year I ran it.) "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2007