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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 61 to 71]
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J. Z. from Michigan
(11/3/2010)
 "Another excellent Detroit Marathon" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Detroit International Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Almost everything was great about this year's race. It was well organized, expo was good, parking seemed better this year, starting line was well organized, the volunteers were excellent, the crowd support was good, and we got a nice, unique medal with a Motown theme. Only two negatives for me: Huge bottleneck going into and on the bridge. One of the lanes was under construction and everyone really had to slow down for this section. Since they knew about the construction, I wish they had spaced out the wave starts more or added additional waves. Second issue is that the post race food was bad. A lot of the bananas were rotten and there were no bagels. They need more food and more selection. But overall, things went great. | |
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J. V. from Phoenix, Arizona
(11/1/2010)
 "A race by, for and about half-marathoners" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Detroit International Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is a great race for a half marathon, not so great for a marathon. This was my 12th marathon, and second in Detroit. I don't like running with the half-marathoners, especially when there's such a numerical difference in runners between the two races. Also, there are way too many turns - you end up running an extra mile, per my Garmin anyway. All in all, a tough race to finish - I was under 4 hours but it was a miserable last half because of Belle Isle, the inclines at the, end and all of the needless turns. So sign up for the half, but find somewhere else for your full. | |
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K. E. from Georgia
(10/31/2010)
"This course is GREAT" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Detroit International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I had reservations about running this race because my goal was to qualify for Boston. I shouldn't have thought twice. This course is not hilly, and I feel it's a PR course. There are a few inclines, but if you are trained, you will not notice. Definitely pick Detroit! | |
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R. v. from Pennsylvania
(10/29/2010)
 "Great course; great day" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Detroit International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I can't say enought about the course - it was perfect. The 2-minute starts were nice; they broke up the runners a little bit at the start. Running over the bridge was nice - a hill, yes, but still nice, early in the marathon. Coming back to the USA there was a big group of spectators waiting for you. Then a run though the city, then out for some flat miles to the island. Once around the island then in for the finish. | |
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Ryan Martineau from Buffalo, NY
(10/28/2010)
"Great, great race..." (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Detroit International Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 First, yes, the Ambassador Bridge was a pain, but there was construction and we can't do much about that. A marathon is 26.2; it is unreasonable to think that the whole course (26.2 is a lot of course) is going to be pristine. Now for my thoughts... -Great overall event from the expo to the race -Course aid was always available, with easily distinguishable Gatorade/water cups -Loved the wave start; it lessened the cluster -7 a.m. start is perfect; sun doesn't come up til about miles 3-4 -Sun coming up over the downtown skyline on the bridge speaks for itself -Crowd was very helpful, and volunteers cared about every runner -Tech shirt was long-sleeve and was pretty sweet -20K runners between all of the distances, so you were always running with someone -20K makes this a larger size marathon with the feel of an intimate small-town one -medals, if you're big on them, are awesome! -The course is PR-able; this was my 5th and I PR'd. As mentioned, 26.2 is a long way and hills are inevitable in planning a course Couple negatives - had to pay $10 for post-race "conquered" party. C'mon now!! I just walked back to my hotel instead -the finishing chute seemed to go on forever; it feels like I had to walk (hobble) 10 minutes to get outside of the gates, and the food bags were at the back of the chute -if you stay at the Marriot the Renissance center, be prepared to get lost inside that place, because you will Coming from out of town, I think I made a good decision in choosing this as my fall marathon, and I recommend anyone looking for a nice time to give Detroit a try! | |
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M. K. from Pleasant Ridge, Michigan
(10/25/2010)
"Great overall experience!" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 6+ Detroit International Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I enjoyed the newer second half, with miles 20 - 25 around Belle Isle and along the Riverwalk. This made the tough miles a little easier than past races. Crowd support was great! Tech shirts had a cool design, garnering many compliments since the race. Hydration stations were very well organized, and the Motor City Rah-Rahs at 20.5 made me chuckle. I would recommend more GU stations, as one is not enough. I set a PR by 3 minutes, but I have heard that the Ambassador Bridge congestion caused problems (I had no problem with it starting in Wave C.). | |
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Parkison Valerie from Boston, MA
(10/25/2010)
"GREAT first marathon" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Detroit International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my very first marathon and I couldn't have picked a better one to start with. The course was flat and simple and the varied scenery made it interesting. This race has so many different visuals including waterfronts (both Canada and US views), underground tunnel, bridge, inner city, upscale neighborhood, to a small island. My spectators found me six different times along the course because its easy to navigate and to move to different spots. There are enough spectators along to course to give it energy, but not too many to prevent the runner from picking out family and friends on the sidelines - and even making water bottle exchanges, if necessary. Additionally, the organizers did a great job with everything from the expo, the organized start, the stations along the course, the number of volunteers, and the organized finish. I was very surprised to find the details of the overall race so thoroughly hammered out. I can't recommend this marathon enough. It is especially good as a first marathon because there is nothing to worry about technically and one can concentrate solely on finishing! | |
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G. V. from Detroit, Michigan
(10/22/2010)
 "Detroit Rocks" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Detroit International Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was another good year. I have run the 1/2 many times and this is my first year running the full. I could not praise this race enough, but I do have a couple of negative comments: 1) the line for the race start gear drop was way too long and got all of us waiting in line nervous (apparently some people were confused with the procedure) and 2) there was a substantial back up at the bridge for the slower runners (I heard from a faster runner that this was not an issue with them). This is too bad and may prevent some folks from enjoying the experience of going over the bridge just as the sun is rising behind the Detroit skyline. Other than that, the race was an awesome experience. Highly recommended! | |
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K. S. from Detroit suburb
(10/22/2010)
"good one" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Detroit International Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It was a perfect day for the marathon; however, some people are just rude. On the bridge to Canada, it was a bit narrow; but pushing your way through to catch up to your group?! Come on. Maybe you need to plan to get there on time. | |
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M. M. from Michigan
(10/20/2010)
"Great for the First-Timer" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Detroit International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've been planning to make this my first marathon for quite some time because I've heard great things about this race. It didn't disappoint. The course was great. Being mostly flat, I was able to run comfortably (as comfortably as you can, anyway) for most of the race. I enjoyed crossing the bridge at dawn and then coming back through the tunnel. Indian Village and Belle Isle were two of my favorite scenic areas as I ran through Detroit, and the park along the river in Windsor was great - I wish we ran along the river walk instead of on the road! Also, there was more than enough water and Gatorade stations along the route. The spectators were awesome, as well. The triplets who were standing along the route in Canada were outstanding. And the LARGE crowd that we met as we came out of the tunnel was spectacular. These are only a few of the great things I experienced while running in this event. I encourage you to experience it for yourself. Overall, a great race for a person looking for a great first marathon experience. This has made me excited to run my second one! |
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