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Detroit International Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Detroit International Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.2 
Spectators 4.1
Number of comments: 402 [displaying comments 371 to 381]
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A Runner from Dearborn, Michigan
(10/8/2002)
 "What a difference a year makes! Worth the hills!" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 After last year, I was NOT planning to run the 2002 Freep. When the course was announced, I changed my mind - well worth the climb on the bridge and the tunnel. Highs - Canadian side: most beautiful view. Detroit skyline is nice from a distance. - View from the Ambassador Bridge. - Belle Isle - few spectators, but an real gem. Trees, river views. - Great organization. Volunteers and aid stations well laid out and supplied. - Good fan support - Great maps and info for spectators. - First timer green bibs: I've never worn one, but it really adds to the cameraderie. - Start at Tiger Stadium and finish at Ford Field - Easy street parking near start and finish Lows: - Potholes galore. Saw someone trip on Belle Isle, another rolled an ankle in Indian Village. - Diesel fumes from trucks on the bridge - The last 100 yards of the tunnel. ( people fumes ?) - RIDICULOUS PORTAPOTTY LINES!!!!!! The worst I've seen in a long time. - Parking garages gouging ($6-$10 parking at 6 am on a Sunday?!?!) - The super steep downhill into the finish at Ford Field. - Steps back up to the food / water Hey, what's up with the Stars and stripes ribbon on the medal? What about our Canadian friends, besides, with a 25th anniversary, shouldn't the rbbon have been silver!?!?!? If they keep the course, I'll be tempted to do it instead of Chicago next year. Y | |
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A Runner from Barrie, Ontario
(10/7/2002)
 "Great Marathon" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Although Downtown Detroit is a dump, the marathon was excellent. Well organized, great course and well supported by the people of Detroit. Highlights were, crossing the bridge back into Windsor and returning through the Tunnel as well as the seven mile trip around Belle Island. Finishing in Ford Field was Spectacular. | |
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A Runner from Boulder, Colorado
(10/7/2002)
 "excellent flat course" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 What I liked: a good flat course. I loved going to Windsor, Belle Isle, the bridge, tunnel, and Indian Village. A lot of water,gatorade, gu, and friendly crowds. Great weather this year. What I didn't like: not enough porta johns at beginning, no family/friends meeting area - unable to meet friends because of this. Could have simply stated that in the stadium certain sections could be chosen to meet. Parking is expensive, both at race and local hotels. Suggestions: keep this course! more porta johns at start and on course. Better family friend meeting area. | |
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A Runner from Chicago, IL
(10/7/2002)
"well done." (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Well done marathon with a few key improvements needed. The race ran out of marathon t-shirts for the pre-registered runners (supposedly to be received by mail at a later date). MORE porta-johns needed at the start. The volunteers were excellent, lots of water/gatorade stops, small number of race fans, finish in the Ford Field was great! I might not call this course 'fast' as there are 2 significant uphill climbs (over the bridge and exiting the tunnel) and a head wind at segments of the last 3 mile stretch. Overall good marathon if you are looking for an excuse to go to Detroit! | |
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A Runner from MI
(10/7/2002)
"spectacular event" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Just ran this race yesterday, and I'm still beaming: beautiful (if not actually perfect) weather, a great course, fantastic volunteers -- truly, you couldn't ask for a better big city marathon. From the start at the new baseball stadium, to and over the breath-taking bridge to Canada, to the bike path along the beautiful river (with fantastic views of barges), to the fun run through the tunnel back into Detroit, then the loop around beautiful Belle Isle, and taking in the neighborhood and the lovely homes in Indian Village, and then the awesome finish in the new football stadium, I was awed throughout 26.2 miles by the all the friendly folks who helped make this the best running event of my life. Way to go Detroit! | |
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A Runner from Concord, OH
(10/7/2002)
"One Great Marathon. Job Well Done, Detroit!" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Fantastic marathon package that matches up very well with all the much more expensive big marathons out there. This was my 20th run and I will say that I enjoyed this as well as Chicago, Marine Corps, and the music marathons in San Diego and Nashville. The weather was ideal, the expo was very good, and the essentially flat and fast course was perfect as the trip over the Ambassador Bridge to Canada was brought back for the 25th anniversary. Volunteer support was tremendous as thousands of folks helped out with all the details including manning more water stops that one can imagine complete with oranges and GU. Upon finishing you receive a great finisher's medal, a goody bag, and a great concert. I really enjoyed the scenary as a lot of the course takes you alongside both sides of the Detroit River and through Belle Island park, a stretch through some of Detroit's neighborhoods, and a finish in Ford Field. To finish inside Ford Field and see myself up finishing on the big screen was just AWESOME and makes this run very special! This is one great marathon that is well worth the trip. Thank you Detroit. | |
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A Runner from Michigan
(10/7/2002)
"Construction, what a mess, must be in Michigan!" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 It is said that the 'Welcome to Michigan' sign is made of orange barrels with lights atop them which blink at night. Well, welcome to the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank International Marathon and get ready for a whole bunch of confusion, congestion, and a road system that'll not be fixed by next years race. This is not an impression of the race once the gun went off, that's how difficult the process was to just retrieve your race number (which had to be picked up one of the two days preceeding the race due immigration rules because you cross the border into Canada during the race). Normally I would never comment negatively about a race put on in my home state. However I have seen time and again that the City of Detroit and State of Michigan do so little to support this marathon. Logic says that one hopes that staging an event that can potentially bring in elite athletes along with millions of dollars in tourism -- and if the participants were impressed with the vitality and direction of the city, they will return. This in my opinion, cannot happen with the constant road blocks (pun intended) being placed before the race commitee. The race itself was terrific and we had a beautiful day to run. I've completed this race six of the last nine years and the entire time I was on the course I thought of the changes made yearly due to some sort of bureaucratic snafu. The course is seemingly never set until a month before the event. Like I say though: come for the race, try to overlook roads/building construction, and you'll have as good a time as any marathon. | |
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A Runner from Berkley, Michigan
(10/6/2002)
"Great course for Boston Qaulifying times!" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 What a great marathon! Small field; fantastic aide stations (essentially every mile!) plus a Gu station at mile 15; wonderful course; PERFECT weather; plus the opportunity to sleep in my own bed! What more could you ask for? Plus, a very fast, flat course with the only hills being on the bridge to Canada and in the tunnel returning to the USA (both before mile 9). And running in the tunnel to finish in Ford Field was so much fun---although the steep downhill was a bit much on the tired quad muscles! I don't understand why so many Michiganders opt to go to Chicago to run with 37000 other people to try to get to Boston when they could stay home for this fantastic marathon! My only small complaints: not very many spectators in some areas (but the fans that were there were wonderful!) and not a great variety of finish area refreshments. I would definitely recommend this to everyone! | |
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A Runner from Charlotte, NC, USA
(4/25/2002)
 "Well run, flat, fast, good PR/Boston-qualifying co" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Flat fast, well managed. 3-4000 runners is good for PR's and Boston-qualifying as it is easy to get into your pace quickly. | |
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A Runner from Dearborn
(10/28/2001)
"Fairly well run, good for beginners" (General Comments)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 If you can overlook the occasional burned out building, this is a well run marathon - they could use more portajohns at the start, but I've yet been to a race without lines to use the bathroom. My only regret is that the 9/11 incident required the race to cancel the Canadian stretch. Plusses: Superflat course, with aid every mile with lots of well trained and organized volunteers, GU at 15 and 23 (officially @ 15 only) with candy, etc at the last 3 miles. Good views of the downtown area. Minuses: No pace marks at start, no portajohns after about 9 miles or so, some long stretches with very few spectators, and more than a few blighted abandoned buildings on the route. |
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