The Detroit Marathon is a great course, with spectacular views, an international route, two border crossings, and scenery that is always changing. I can only imagine that it's an amazing feat to coordinate this type of international race that uses two border crossings.

I did, however, find the race starting to be curious. The half-marathon walkers started 5 minutes before the half-marathon runners. The logic was to have them pass each other on the wider roads before runner/walkers hit the narrowed bridge (due to construction). But if the half runners started before the half walkers, they'd never have to pass in the first place. Seems like bad planning to me. I hope the bridge construction will be over next year and this won't be an issue. As a rule, though, I don't think slower paced runner/walkers should ever start before faster paced runner/walkers. That's just common sense.

That said, it was a great time and most walkers stayed to the side and I didn't have much issue while running. I would do it all again and encourage others to give this race a try.

This race is fantastic! The weather for this year was picture perfect! The course is very nice and the actual race organization is extremely good. There are plenty of fluid stops that supply water and Gatorade and they are well manned. There are a lot of spectators in both the U.S. and Canada. I especially liked the crowd at the end of the tunnel into the U.S.

The expo was very nice but the "goody" bag was uninspiring. They ran out of the larger shirt sizes, forcing many runners to go online to request one to be shipped at a later date. It's difficult to understand what could have gone wrong, especially since this was the 31st year in what otherwise is a well organized event.

Overall, this is a great race and one I highly recommend.

It was great running into Canada and back. The bridge was very steep, and there were a lot of small turns and a narrow course near border. Walkers were in the way, walking on the course side by side. I can never understand why they don't make them start in the rear and not get in everybody's way. Fan support great on an early Sunday morning. No food or gel at aid stations and I was in the middle of the pack. Finish line was terrible. Got stuck in a line to get a food bag and could not get out; you're like cattle going to slaughter.

I have run in 4 other marathons: Chicago, Marine Corp, Houston and Disney, and this finish line was by far the worst. Expo had a lot of booths and things for sale. However, they ran out of shirts and I had to give my bib number. They are supposed to send me one. How do run out of shirts? That was a first. Goody bag was a JOKE. Nothing in it but a bunch of fliers to other races. Normally there is a gel pack, Vaseline or ChapStick-like stuff in it. This time? Nothing. This race should be much better. I won't do it again, and except for running into Canada and back, I would not recommend this race to anybody.

This is my 5th race, and I have to say that overall I wasn't completely satisfied. The organization the morning of the race was unimpressive. Race officials attempted to guide the 5K, half and full marathoners unsuccessfully to their corrals. The bag check was VERY difficult to find and there was no room to get to them. The streets and sidewalks were overly congested for any sense of order or understanding. Anxiety already rides high the morning of a race, and the pre-race organization is enough for me to say I will never be back.

The course itself was very winding with streets with poor footing.

I will say that the race volunteers were wonderful, and there was plenty of water stops, but not enough volunteers to man them all with many runners having to stop and wait for the water to be poured.

Lastly, the course was measured long - according to my GPS and several others - by almost half a mile. That adds on precious minutes for those of us seeking a PB.

I've run 3 marathons this year and this one is on par with Air Force Marathon in Fairborn, OH. Not much nutrition on this course like others - 1 gel stop, no fruit, etc.. - but plenty hydration stations. Fan support is very good, entertainment is great, and course is relatively flat. I got a PR for the 4th consecutive marathon, which is always good. The 3:50 pacer was good. The medal is 2nd only to the Air Force Marathon. Definitely a must-do marathon.

My first Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon and far from my last. The organization of this race alone made my 9-hour drive to get there worthwhile. The course was well laid out and very well marked. Fluid stations were plentiful, well stocked and staffed by very enthusiastic volunteers. Try as I might, I can't think of anything about this race that I didn't like; even the weather was spot on. As I said above, I'll be back again for this one. It's a "Do Not Miss."

I ran the half and had a horrible experience:

1. I arrived at the expo Saturday morning at 11:30 a.m. to find out they were out of large shirts, and I didn't get one. Saturday morning and you're out of shirts? It's not like I showed up at the last minute. I was registered months ahead of time. I should have had a shirt RESERVED for me!
2. The day of the race I was slowed to a walking pace around 10 times by the five-mile mark.
3. On the bridge, I was forced to run at least 3 minutes slower than my desired pace for about 1.5 miles. I payed $60 to enter a "race!" Its unacceptable that I was forced to jog slowly for that long. No one can make up that lost time.
4. At the end, the exit corrals were so poorly arranged, that we waited for at least 20 minutes to get through the Whole Foods tents. I payed for this race, and didn't even get my shirt; I should NOT be forced to wait because they want to subject me to their advertsing.

I've done Detroit 4 times now. For me, the pluses are that because I live in nearby Toledo, I can sleep in my own bed and avoid a hotel charge and participate in a decent-sized marathon with a good course and decent spectator support. Other pluses include the spectacular view from the top of the Ambassador Bridge joining US and Canada. The sun is just rising as we "hit the bridge." Going through Canada and then back to US soil via the Detroit/Windsor tunnel is nice, too. And you get a huge finisher's medal. Another plus is that it's not too big. Chicago for me is just too big. Negatives - so much concrete, but there are few larger 'thons that don't have this issue. Also, neither the amenities nor the finish line food are not great. This year's goody bag at the packet pickup had not a single free item, only ads for other races. I think Detroit needs to consider how other nearby marathons are including giveaways to runners like Akron or Cincinnati does. I will return to Detroit several times.

This was my first Detroit Marathon and my fourth overall. The first part of course was great, especially seeing the sun come up on the bridge, and the tunnel was fun. The weather was great (other than it being a little cold in some of the windy/shaded areas between buildings downtown, although that's still better than being too warm). The wind was not as bad this year compared to some comments I have read about other years.

If any areas could use improvement, the sidewalks in the start areas were really congested with a lot of spectators and I could barely get to my starting chute.

The expo was OK, and packet pickup was very easy; I didn't have to wait at all.

I felt the finish area needed more food compared to all of the other marathons I have run.

Since my wife and kids always come along as spectators, my wife commented that this was easiest marathon to get around to different points to see me, and the Detroit people-mover was very convenient to use.

Columbus, OH - 2006
Marine Corp - 2007
San Diego Rock & Roll - 2008

Does this sound like a good idea?

Have the marathoners and walkers line up on one side of the street and the half marathoners line up on the other.

Start ALL of the marathoners and ALL of the walkers. Now you have over 12,000 runners on the course.

Five minutes after the marathon and walkers' starting gun, start the 6,000 half marathoners. Of course, the walkers have barely cleared the starting line by that point.

So all the half marathoners have to run through the walkers and slower marathoners who are already on the course.

If that's not bad enough, add a course that funnels down to ONE LANE for about half a mile over the Ambassador Bridge.

What do you get? Complete chaos for the half marathoners.

As one of the faster half-marathoners, I had to run through all the walkers not to mention every single marathon pace group (I probably passed through ten). Each pace group was a "choke point" on the course as numerous runners crowded around the pacer. Good luck getting by, especially when they were going through two-lane streets in the neighborhoods or even the wider streets of Windsor or the tunnel.

People were actually forced to WALK approaching the Ambassador Bridge with too many runners trying to access just one lane. Add the faster half-marathoners trying to get through the marathoners and walkers (who, remember, started first) and it was just a complete nightmare.

Sure, accepting a zillion runners into the field makes lots of money for the race organizers (especially since they got rid of the Ford Field finish, which the runners loved but which also cost lots of money).

Race organizers need to think about the runners who train SERIOUSLY for months, only to be unable to run their pace because the race organizers have totally screwed thing up.

Come to Detroit for a "fun run." Don't bet your fall training on it.