Somehow I didn’t get in on the fun of the Detroit Free Press Marathon weekend until last year. It’s fair to say it lived up to all of the hype and now I’m hooked. I went big for my first Freep experience, completing the Supreme Challenge by running the mile, 5K, and marathon. I plan to run the California International Marathon in December for my (late) fall marathon, so I opted to sign up for the Wonder Challenge this time, swapping the marathon for the international half marathon.

Participating last year made things easy this year because I was already comfortable with all of the logistics. Because I opted to do one of the challenges again, it meant driving down to Detroit three days in a row. I’m about 30 miles north of the city so it was a lot of driving, but other than battling traffic on the way to the expo on Friday afternoon, it wasn’t too bad. I got to the expo at Huntington Place (formerly Cobo) by 4:00 and had used an app to reserve parking in a deck right across the street. I went straight to the back to pick up my packet with help from some great volunteers. 

Brooks had a large area with some awesome official merchandise but I was determined to limit myself to a hat. I already have way too much stuff and my packet came with a long sleeve race shirt plus a challenge jacket. I continued to browse the rest of the expo and chatted with a few friends I know through Infinite Multisport Triathlon Club. I was just about to leave when a sweatshirt at the ASICS booth caught my attention. The design was a clever play on the logo for Buddy’s Pizza, which is well-known in the area for their Detroit-style pizza. ASICS had a bunch of iron-on designs that they could add to any of their shirts or jackets. They had a really nice jacket that I knew I could use so I broke down and bought that too.

I picked up pre-race sandwiches to enjoy with my mom, then I had to get home and actually organize all of my stuff so I’d be ready to race the next morning.

Things went smoothly enough last year that I followed the same routine for the Saturday morning races down by the Detroit riverfront. There’s a deck right by the start that’s probably the busiest spot because parking is free that morning. I got there at 7:00 with lots of time to spare before the mile race started at 8:25. It was a clear morning around 40° but it felt like the 30s so I wore several layers when I headed out. I made a bathroom stop then ran a couple miles along the beautiful riverfront to warm up.

My legs felt warmed up enough to try to run fast and my body stayed warm enough to leave my stuff at gear check and go line up in the starting corral for the mile. I was able to get up to the front without any problem.

Earlier that morning I had studied the course maps and realized that both races would make the first turn a block sooner than last year. That meant we’d avoid climbing a quick, steep hill just after the start which felt brutal last year. I was SO thankful for that change! The mile was more of a rectangular route this year with longer straightaways that were ideal for trying to run a fast time. 

With a marathon on the line last year, I tried to stay disciplined and not push too hard for the mile or 5K because I didn’t want to risk doing something that could possibly screw up my marathon. I placed pretty well last year despite that and wondered how I might do if I truly ran hard. Since I would “just” be running a half marathon this time, I thought I’d go for it during the shorter races. However, it was only going to be the third time I’d ever raced a mile and I really don’t know how to pace myself for something so short. At least I did a few interval sessions of faster running leading up to this race, but I certainly hadn’t done anything specific to prepare for the mile. 

I started really fast as I was swept up in the crowd and was thrown off for a second when I had to quickly dodge a woman who was WALKING. Although we were assigned starting corrals based on our paces for the 5K, we didn’t have that for the mile. If there were any announcements suggesting that slower people should start further back I missed it. That would have been extremely helpful guidance for people who may not have known any better!

After the quick start I settled down for the first long stretch, going fast but not killing myself. After I turned and hit the long straightaway to the finish, I picked it up and gave everything I had. By that point the cold got to me and my nose was so stuffed up that it made it more challenging to breathe. It was way colder than any temps I’ve run in this season! I hung on and kept pushing, finishing in 6:36. 

Last year I finished in 6:54 when I gave it some effort but didn’t push myself all-out. I knew I should end up quite a bit faster this time yet still questioned if I REALLY went all-out. My heart rate probably should have been higher and maybe I could have suffered a bit more. I think I probably have more potential but don’t really know how to pace myself for something that short. I went hard but don’t love pushing myself to that red line. I didn’t really have a goal time in mind and my main thought was that I had won $40 last year for placing as the third female masters runner when I didn’t even “try.” What could I do if I really tried? The lead women in my category ran 5:55 and 6:27 and I placed third in the female masters category again! It took about a month to receive that surprise prize money check last year so now I’m anxious to see if I get one again. It would cover the cost of the new hat I bought at the expo!

Aside from getting rid of that hill, another nice thing about the course changes this year is that the start and finish were in the same spot. Last year the finish line for the mile was just a short walk away but I didn’t really think about how I ought to get into the 5K corral early. I lined up too late and was stuck way too far back in the crowd for the pace I was going to run. I knew better this time around and just stayed right there until the announcer told us to line up. With an 8:25 start for the mile and 8:50 for the 5K, I had about 18 minutes to kill in between. Some of that was spent catching my breath, stretching, and posing with my medal. 

I had packed a heat sheet in my running belt and wrapped that around myself to stay warm as I waited. I was very grateful that people were assigned to corrals based on pace for the 5K. That really would have helped me last year and made a big difference this year. I was in the first corral and started amongst other people who planned to run fast.

It was around 40° and still cold, but I don’t think the congestion hit my nose as bad as it did during the mile. I’m sure it helped that my pace was a little slower. I enjoyed the course which gave us a chunk of time running along the Detroit River and several long straightaways.

I even managed to run a negative split, getting faster as I went! My fastest 5Ks have been somewhere in the 21-minute range, so I was very happy with a sub-22 finish. The brand new pair of Brooks Hyperion Elite 6 shoes that I got from Hanson’s Running Shop earlier in the week served me well, and I decided that I’d definitely use them for the half the next day as well.

I wandered over to a backdrop to get pictures with my medals when I noticed a woman with an Infinite Multisport hat. We started to chat and I got a picture with Laurie and Bill so we could share it with our Infinite teammates. 

I walked the riverfront a bit before heading out, and as expected, it took a little time to get out of parking deck because it was the main place everyone used. When I got home I relaxed and had a quiet day as I prepared my stuff to go out and race again the next day.

Once again, my race-day routine had worked well enough last year to do the same thing on Sunday this year. Many people recommend parking in the MGM Casino parking deck because it’s large, free, and a fairly reasonable walk to the starting line. The half and full marathons started at 7:00 so I got to MGM at 5:30. It only took me a couple minutes of creeping along through traffic to get in. However, traffic increased a lot after that. It helped justify my early arrival which was stress-free! I heard plenty of stories later about really bad backups.

While I had walked all the way to the finish area last year to drop a bag at gear check, this time I went straight to a building near the starting corrals where RUNdetroit had a VIP area. I had earned a VIP pass by making a large purchase at the store back in the spring. It’s all the more reason to shop local. When we support the local businesses, they can give back to the community! Owner Justin Craig and other awesome people from the store made it a great experience. They had a really large space with tables and chairs, our own gear check, foam rollers and mats for stretching, and real bathrooms.

I hung out for a good half hour or 45 minutes and happened to run into Jon, my friend Kristin’s husband. It was nice to chat with him for a few minutes as he got ready to run the marathon.

It was another cold morning hovering around 40° at start time and I opted to wear long sleeves for both days of racing. I’d be done with the half before 9:00 and it still wouldn’t be very warm by that point. I had a “throwaway” sweatshirt that I honestly could have saved because once I jogged a mile to warm up, I was fine as I waited to start. Like the previous day, I was in the first corral and had no problem getting where I wanted to be, even 10 minutes before the start! I was worried that I pushed it a little too close with my timing but it all worked out. I saw a pace group for a 1:40 half, and since I’ve run that time for a couple races in the past month, I figured it was a good place to line up.

It was still dark when we got going right at 7:00. At first I got a little impatient because I felt too locked in as I was surrounded by runners and I wanted to get moving a little bit faster. Yet the 1:40 pace group started to drift away even though I ran a 7:37 mile and their goal was 7:38. This is why it’s always so hard for me to actually stick with pace groups!

It took about two miles to get to the ramp up to the Ambassador Bridge. I couldn’t help but look up as we ran under and realized that we had quite a climb to get up there! By that point we got some nice color as the sun began to rise.

I thought about how it didn’t really matter what time I ran because I was just grateful that I got to do something so cool. Both that I am physically capable of it, and that we are given this unique opportunity to run in two countries. It’s the only time pedestrians get to cross that bridge between Detroit and Canada, and to do so with a big group of like-minded people during a beautiful sunrise? It was definitely something special and I enjoyed taking it all in, even as I slowed down during the climb. Last year it was windy and I got pelted by rain, so this year’s experience on the bridge was MUCH more enjoyable. We passed plenty of border guards along the way who were watching everyone to make sure their race bibs were visible. Some runners thanked them, and some guards cheered us on.

While my pace had been in the 7:30s for the first couple miles, I slowed down to 7:57 during the climb up the bridge. When the bridge went DOWN, my pace balanced out as I flew through a 7:19 mile. I love milking that downhill momentum!

I enjoyed our stretch of running along the riverfront in Windsor which was lined with lots of spectators who had some great signs. Once again, I was grateful for the beautiful day as I continued to admire the sunrise with the Detroit skyline off in the distance.

As we got close to the tunnel, someone behind me said, “Go Bees!” A guy in an Infinite Multisport shirt ran past me and I rooted for him too. It’s fun when people from the team wear some kind of gear so we can recognize and cheer for each other.

I know some people complain about the tunnel because it can get warm, but I think it’s a cool experience. There’s no other time when people get to run through there for the “underwater mile.” A DJ from 89X was just inside the entrance with a megaphone to psych us up as we entered. We had a nice downhill stretch to start, and eventually I got pretty sweaty. I told myself it was only for a mile. There was a climb on the way out and I was ready to be done with the tunnel. I looked forward to the cool air when we’d exit. My Garmin map shows that the tracking was a bit off, but I think it still tracked the distance fairly accurately.

It was energizing when we came out of the tunnel and were welcomed back to Detroit by plenty of spectators.

My coworker Cam was one of the official photographers and told me he’d be located just outside of the tunnel. I kept scanning the road and eventually I saw photographers who were bundled up on each side of the road. I finally determined that Cam was on the opposite side so I ran over there and yelled, “Cam! Hey!” He captured the moment perfectly, slapped my hand, and I was off. It made me so happy to see him out there.

We ran past the statue of the Joe Louis fist, Hart Plaza, and headed toward the expo center.

We made a turn there that sent us up a hill that definitely slowed me down and reminded me that as flat as the course may be, it’s not ALL flat. We headed toward the part of downtown that I’m most familiar with as we ran past the Fillmore, the Fox, and Comerica Park on Woodward. We saw a few of the half marathon leaders heading back on the opposite side of the road by that point.

Shortly after that I hit the 10-mile mark and knew it was probably time to pick it up for the last 5K. I managed to do so pretty successfully, dropping from a 7:43 mile to 7:22 for mile 11. I glanced at my watch when that mile split popped up and laughed when I saw that I was at 1:23:45. At that point we had split off from the full marathon runners and turned back south. I felt like I was on the straightaway to the finish. Not exactly though, because I had two miles to go and we had a few short turns to make. Still, I was motivated to keep pushing. When we got back to Woodward, there was a continuous flow of runners to watch on the other side of the road on their way out.

I dropped to 7:06 for the 12th mile which made me feel really strong. I slowed down a slight bit for the final mile because I couldn’t quite maintain that but I gave it everything I had. Cheering spectators lined the street on the way into the finish, where we had a bit of a straightaway before hitting a final turn with the finish line just around the corner.

I could see that the 1:40 pacer had finished and the race clock was just over 1:40, but my chip time was 1:39:38, so I was very happy to sneak under 1:40. Out of four half marathons in the past four weeks, this was my fastest and only one under 1:40.

I enjoyed running the full marathon last year and it was one of my fastest marathons, but it sure was nice to run the international half this time around. I feel like it covered nearly all of the best parts of the course and obviously it didn’t beat me up as much as the marathon.

I funneled through the post-race area, collecting my medal, a heat sheet, chocolate milk, and a bag of food, which I think just consisted of a bag of pretzels and a couple Oreos. Pretty much the same options we’d had the day before for the shorter races. There was some fruit plus water and Gatorade along the way as well. When I exited that area I saw a sign for the post-race celebration and went that way. There was a line of food trucks, a tent with race merchandise, and a few places for photos. There was also a tent for Stone House Bread where they handed out warm slices of buttered sourdough bread. 

I browsed around quickly before heading back to RUNdetroit’s VIP area. I was so thankful that I could get out of the cold because while it was great for running, I got cold pretty fast once I stopped. There was a pop-up changing area where I swapped to a dry shirt, plus there was a massage therapist and compression boots for recovery. Justin from RUNdetroit even brought homemade chili and other food. He really made sure we had a great experience!

I hung out for a bit as I ate and tried to warm up, then I got a text from my friend Lisa who came downtown to support some friends running the marathon. I went back to the celebration area to catch up with her for a few minutes before she went off to spectate. 

I wanted to take some photos by the Spirit of Detroit but quickly realized it was so close to the finish that the roads were lined with gates and I couldn’t get there easily. I was ready to give up and started to head back toward the casino when my friend Susy spotted me. She had also run the half and it was fun that we happened to cross paths. She was trying to find someone on the marathon course and I explained how she’d have to find an opening to get around the gates. We made it far enough down the course to find a point where we could cross the road, and helping her get back there would get me to the Spirit of Detroit after all.

I had several Infinite Multisport friends in my tracker and it looked like some were nearing the end of the half and I was able to cheer for them on my way back to the car. It’s always fun to see and root for each other out there. 

It was a little slow to get out of the area by the casino because it was such a popular parking spot. As I drove away I realized that the MotorCity Casino was pretty close and had no backups, so that could be a good alternative.

After participating in the fun of the Freep weekend two years in a row, I totally understand why so many of my local friends return year after year. I got to spend the weekend doing what I love and it felt extra special doing so in my territory where everything is so familiar. Even though I’m from the suburbs, there’s still a sense of pride when I get to see the hometown city shine. The marathon has been voted the best in the country in a USA TODAY survey two years in a row for good reason. This isn’t just our local race – it’s a big deal and it’s done extremely well. I love that people come from all over while also getting to share it with SO many friends and familiar faces. 

I typically plan races a year ahead and have been questioning what I want to do for a fall marathon next year. I already have plenty of travel plans in the first half of the year so I’m thinking maybe I ought to watch the spending and stay local rather than travel for a fall race. Freep will celebrate 50 years of races next year which will be a big deal. I had so much fun the past couple years that I will strongly consider running the full marathon a second time next year.

– Janet

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