This is my fourth Detroit Marathon. I did not like the wave start. I thought it was more congested during the first five miles than it ever was. I could not break free of the pack until I entered Canada. Also, I missed having bands playing music every mile or so as in the past. Other than that, the changes to the course were nice, the aid stations were good, etc.

This is my fourth time running the Detroit Marathon and it keeps getting better and better.

1) Course: Tough not to love running on a suspension bridge at sunrise over a big river connecting the Great Lakes, with a freighter underneath you blowing its horn! The tunnel back is equally as impressive, but the best part are the throngs of people awaiting you as you reach sunlight back in the good old the U.S.A.! Also, really like the back half marathon being flipped around as well so your homestretch miles are along the scenic river.

2) Organization: Great idea having the delayed and staggered start to reduce early congestion. More than enough water, Gatorade, etc.

3) Expo: As they say, perspective is reality and I wonder how some posters can say that the expo was too small. It's plenty big enough with enough charities and vendors to keep you busy for an hour if you'd like (as I did).

4) Shirt: Great long-sleeve technical shirt

5) Medal: AWESOME Medal and great new logo!

Other than the bridge and tunnel, which aren't that bad and are done by mile 8, the course is pretty darned flat and so I plan on qualifying for Boston there in 2010. On, on!

The good:
-Wide start area; it was easy to line up in assigned area for wave start.
-Road on to the bridge was not as congested this year. The whole bridge/Canada/tunnel section is fun to run.
-Plenty of water and cheering sections. I liked the marching band, the mariachi band, and the hula hoop girls.
-Loved how the Riverwalk section is towards the last couple of miles now. Very scenic.
-Nice, large finisher's medal.
-The whole course makes Detroit look very nice.

Could use some work:
-Expo was fine. But shirts don't fit that well. And how about an expo speaker one of these years?
-Parking. Tried to park in one of the designated lots, the old MGM garage, and traffic was lined up off of the Lodge for a long ways and not moving at all. Finally gave up and drove around until I found another lot.
-Still could use some better food at the finish. How about some bagels?

But overall, very well done, and I would recommend this marathon to everyone.

Glad I returned to my home town for my first-ever marathon! A thrill to run over the Ambassador Bridge (yes, a report was released just prior to race stating that the bridge is fine). Excited to run back through the tunnel from Windsor, Ontario - not too warm nor humid, as suggested. These early thrills ironically served to settle me down into a rhythm. Got pumped up again when I saw Doug Kurtis at the halfway point. Fan support was great throughout the course. Almost brought a tear to my eye to see a family cheer their loved one participating. I loved that marching band with the Stomp performers around mile 16 or so. Belle Isle was anything but desolate - heard people cheer there just the right encouragements regarding pace (being a critical point in the race - with about 10K to go). The downtown finish is great with the largest concentration of support. Excellent post-race massage. Wow, what a sizable medallion! The after-race party sounded very good. Killer Flamingos rocked!

My first marathon, and what a great race for my first one. There was fan support throughout the course. The route to Canada was fun and beautiful - over the bridge as the sun was rising in the East, along the Canadian waterfront, and back through the tunnel. Ran through some pretty cool neighborhoods. Way to go, Detroit!

This was my third time running the Detroit Free Press Marathon, and the new wave start was a positive change. The organization is one of the best for large marathons. The course scenery is very good, though not excellent. At least this marathon is geared towards both half-marathoners and full marathoners - unlike the Kentucky Derby Festival, where at the halfway split, there is no crowd support for the few full marathoners in the race. The different medals were excellent. Only the Air Force and Disney Marathon medals are better. The volunteers are excellent and there is considerable crowd support throughout the course. The shirts were a tad on the small size. I rank Detroit Marathon as one of the best. I still can't believe three runners died in the half. Such a tragedy.

This was my first trip to Detroit (actually, I stayed in Windsor). The border-crossing issues were no big deal - 15 minutes at most. Make use of Transit Windsor as much as possible, and stay at University Place for 60 bucks a night. The marathon: starting marathoners and half marathoners is nuts - Grandma's Marathon starts their half-marathoners at mile 13.1, and that way there's no congestion and both groups get to cross the finish line. Detroit needs to do this. My number one complaint, as trivial as this sounds, had to do with my t-shirt.

Every race I've run hands out shirts at the finish line rather than the expo. However, with this one, on Facebook everyone was noticing that the shirts were cut in a way that they fit too small or the sleeves were too short; I phoned and emailed race management and the woman who's running the thing responded with a very rude voicemail (after I politely stated what the problem was with the shirt - too small - AND I offered to buy an XL shirt, which I shouldn't have to do). I was told that they "don't sell or give away shirts. Hope that answers your question." Gee, thanks! After forking over for the cash for a flight to Detroit that was more expensive than a round trip to Los Angeles, and helping to pump in some money in America's worst economic market, this is the thanks I get? I was extremely insulted; this had nothing to do with the shirt - this had to do with a lack of class.

Aside from that, I love Detroit. I love Windsor. I won't let that experience sour my returning to run more Detroit Marathons in the future. The medal was beautiful. The volunteers and spectators were terrific. The neighborhoods in both cities were very nice. Do this race - it will change your stereotypes of Detroit for the better!

This was my first marathon, and it was awesome. The course leading over Ambassador Bridge was beautiful and the crowd was awesome. I would suggest this marathon to anyone, first-timer or experienced.

This was my first BIG marathon. I enjoyed the course (although it's not as exciting as advertised), and running over the Ambassador Bridge at sunrise is pretty cool. The fans and supporters were first-class, and the highlight of the event. The expo was decent if not commercial, and the post-race party was almost non-existent. Overall it was a well supported event, both by the community and on the course. It would be nice if the staggered start was by event rather than time slots; this would allow the marathoners the benefit of not having to fight the early crowds and jostle with so many people. I was 45 seconds off of a PR, but I'm sure that I would have been faster if I hadn't been shoulder-to-shoulder for the first three miles.

Perfect weather, relatively flat course, and the new wave start made for a great race. The wave start eliminated heavy congestion on Ambassador Bridge. Watching the sun rise while on the Ambassador Bridge was very cool. I loved the run on the River Walk near the end - it was just beautiful. In, fact being able to run on both side of the Detroit River was gorgeous. Tunnel gets very warm and a bit stinky; however, it is fun. Plenty of water and Gatorade. The GU station was the best marked GU station I have ever seen. Apparently there was supposed to be a bunch of food a block or two down from the finish line, but I didn't see it. Myself and my friends all set PRs, so all in all, it was a great day for a race.

The news about three half-marathoners passing away was shocking given the perfect weather and organization.