Lastly, having mile 21 on lonely Belle Isle running directly into the freezing headwind of the River was just sadistic. The other two things I have to say about the course is the pavement in many places was rough - many potholes and bulging asphalt - and I was surprised I made it through without tripping (I'm clumsy like that). Will hopefully switch back to the bridge -> Canada -> tunnel route next year. It was a lot of turns, but interesting to see the different areas north/NW of downtown. Take the '3' score I gave the course with a grain of salt, as much of that comes from the number of turns on the out & back that was added to replace the bridge -> Canada -> tunnel portion of the course. Like all runners, I was sad to not have the signature international experience. They were good about keeping all of us apprised of the situation and adapting the route to be US-only. Strange year as the organizers had to deal with both deferred runners from 2020 and Canada's continuing Covid regulations. If you happened to miss a cup or drop one, no bueno.įinish area was great. Fluid stations were fine, but very short. I wish there was more music out there esp. Miles 13 - 16 felt like you were on an abandoned planet - nothing! The hill at the end of mile 25 is short, but man it was tough.
Downtown, Riverwalk and Belle Island sections were great. Weather this year was absolutely perfect mid 40's to start, never got too hot and a bit cloudy. Start area was exactly what you might hope for plenty of bathrooms, space to warm up and plenty of staff to help with questions.
Pacer groups were terrific and on target. Ate dinner in Capital Square (?) at a place called La Lanterna - best pre-race meal I've ever had. I stayed right on Jefferson Ave looking into Canada and I could see the Expo center from my room. Downtown Detroit was better than what I anticipated. Communication was excellent from the day it was cancelled in 2020 and I elected to defer to 2021.Įxpo was perfect for me, in and out in about 10 minutes. I was happy to avoid the elevation changes! Sad I didn't get to experience the bridge and tunnel would have been cool. The race is very well organized and I highly recommend it for MI.ĭFP this year was exclusively in Detroit. The photos were plentiful and uploaded quickly. The course didn't venture into Canada this year, but was nice and flat. I appreciated the stand selling older race items for less. I actually went 2 days in a row since there was a lot to do. The race Expo was one of the best I've been to. I walked through the city and drove to Dearborn to the Ford plant tour and museum the day before to sightsee. People thought it was odd that I was going to run there as I'm from PA but it did not disappoint! I was able to walk to the start and expo from my downtown hotel. It was my first time in Detroit and I loved the city. I have run this marathon, and I want to add my comments about it. The Salvation Army uses $.85 of every dollar raised to provide direct services to people in need each and every day of the year.Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Detroit International Marathon - Race Detailsĭetroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Detroit International Marathon & 5-P & 2-P Relays, 5K Fun In 2009, The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit was involved in providing 3,181,865 million meals and 724,134 nights of shelter for the homeless.
#DETROIT FREE PRESS MARATHON REGISTRATION#
Registration for the Detroit Free Press marathon runs now through October 14 and is available online at Those who miss the registration deadline can donate at The Salvation Army booth, at the Health and Fitness expo at Cobo Center October 15–16.Ībout the Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Divisionįounded by William Booth in London, England in 1865, The Salvation Army is a faith-based, non-profit organization dedicated to serving people in need without discrimination. Runners may sign up to donate to The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit when they register for the race as a “Run for a Reason” charity partner.
“Runners can reach the finish line knowing they have accomplished much more than 26.2 miles.” “Partnering with The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit for the Detroit Free Press marathon is a great way to give back by helping us serve the needs of your own community,” said Major John Turner, general secretary of The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit. Runners can make a one-time contribution to the nonprofit or donate on a per-mile basis. The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit encourages Detroit Free Press marathon race participants to “Run for a Reason” by selecting The Salvation Army as their marathon charity partner for the Oct. Runners Can Help The Salvation Army Serve People in Need With Race or Per-Mile Donation The Salvation Army becomes a Detroit Free Press Marathon Run for a Reason Charity Partner