Detroit Free Press Marathon
The Detroit Free Press Marathon is a 42.195-kilometre (26.219 mi) race run every third Sunday in October in Detroit, Michigan, United States and Windsor, Ontario, Canada since 1978. Major General Stan Connelly and Jerry Coyle organized the first international marathon. MaryJane Hatton, recorded the times as the runners crossed the finish line. After each marathon Stan Connelly and his daughter MaryJane Hatton would compile a booklet entitled, “We’re All Winners” of every runner and their times. The marathon course is international and has featured the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel for all but two years of its existence. The current course crosses the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel between Detroit and Windsor. Due to its use of the tunnel, the race is able to boast that it has the only official underwater international mile in the world, as the tunnel runs underneath the Detroit River. The race is a USATF-certified, Boston-qualifier course.[1]
| Detroit Free Press Marathon | |
|---|---|
| Date | 3rd Sunday in October |
| Location | Detroit, Michigan, United States and Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
| Event type | road |
| Distance | Marathon |
| Established | 1978 |
| Course records | Male: 2:13:07 (Greg Meyer, 1980) Female: 2:34:16 (Elena Orlova, 2004) |
| Official site | www.freepmarathon.com |
The race weekend also features an international half-marathon, a U.S.-Only half-marathon, a relay, a 5K, a 1-mile and a Kids fun run.
History
The predecessor to this race was the Motor City Marathon which started in 1963 and featured multiple laps on Belle Isle.
The marathon was first held in 1978.
From 1978 to 1998 the race started in Windsor and finished in Detroit. The race has had several other sponsors, changing the name slightly each time.
2009's field was a record 19,326 runners who participated.[2]
The 2020 in-person edition of the race was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Registrants were given the option of running the race on their own courses, transferring their entry to 2021 or 2022, or obtaining a 50 percent refund.[3]
Winners
| Date | Time | Men's winner | Time | Women's winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 2:17:37 |  Robert McOmber (USA) | 2:55:51 | Erma Tranter (USA) |
| 1979 | 2:15:42 |  Gordon Minty (GBR) | 2:44:29 | Karen Blackford (USA) |
| 1980 | 2:13:07 | Greg Meyer (USA) | 2:49:17 | Debbie Froehlich (USA) |
| 1981 | 2:15:47 | Mike McGuire (USA) | 2:48:40 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Maureen Griffiths (CAN) |
| 1982 | 2:17:41 | David Hinz (USA) | 2:45:05 | Karen Blackford (USA) |
| 1983 | 2:16:10 | David Olds (USA) | 2:46:22 | Cindy Keeler (USA) |
| 1984 | 2:23:40 | Loren Bandt (USA) | 2:43:00 | Karen Blackford (USA) |
| 1985 | 2:23:58 | Tim Fox (USA) | 2:51:49 | Elizabeth Watch (USA) |
| 1986 | 2:17:24 |  Ahmed Mohamed Ismail (SOM) | 2:47:56 | Pat Wassik-Hinson (USA) |
| 1987 | 2:18:03 | Doug Kurtis (USA) | 2:47:25 | Christine Iwahashi (USA) |
| 1988 | 2:20:14 | Doug Kurtis (USA) | 2:41:49 | Ella Willis (USA) |
| 1989 | 2:17:24 | Doug Kurtis (USA) | 2:38:22 | Ella Willis (USA) |
| 1990 | 2:19:36 | Doug Kurtis (USA) | 2:44:56 | Barbara Remmers (USA) |
| 1991 | 2:18:36 | Doug Kurtis (USA) | 2:42:49 | Ella Willis (USA) |
| 1992 | 2:19:25 | Doug Kurtis (USA) | 2:45:21 | Karen Blackford (USA) |
| 1993 | 2:19:53 | Peter Maher (CAN) | 2:43:07 | Amy Manson (USA) |
| 1994 | 2:21:24 | Donald Johns (USA) | 2:34:55 | May Allison (CAN) |
| 1995 | 2:18:11 | Michael McGowan (CAN) | 2:38:36 | Ann Boyd (USA) |
| 1996 | 2:20:50 | Michael Dudley (USA) | 2:43:36 | Cindy Keeler (USA) |
| 1997 | 2:15:50 | Brad Hudson (USA) | 2:39:59 |  Lyubov Klochko (UKR) |
| 1998 | 2:18:51 |  Zithulele Sinqe (RSA) | 2:45:06 |  Tatyana Maslova (RUS) |
| 1999 | 2:18:27 | Fred Kieser (USA) | 2:43:58 | Irina Khramova (RUS) |
| 2000 | 2:24:47 |  Joseph Maina (KEN) | 2:54:30 | Lisa Veneziano (USA) |
| 2001 | 2:17:49 | Jacom Kirwa (KEN) | 2:52:16 | Lupe Hegan (USA) |
| 2002 | 2:19:14 | John Kariuki (KEN) | 2:43:22 | Angela Strange (CAN) |
| 2003 | 2:19:27 | Hilary Lelei (KEN) | 2:46:59 | Elvira Kolpakova (RUS) |
| 2004 | 2:19:15 | Joseph Ndirtu (KEN) | 2:34:16 | Yelena Sidorchenkova Orlova (RUS) |
| 2005 | 2:14:59 |  Andrey Gordayev (BLR) | 2:40:46 |  Wioletta Kryza (POL) |
| 2006 | 2:18:22 | Josephat Ongeri (KEN) | 2:41:26 | Yelena Sidorchenkova Orlova (RUS) |
| 2007 | 2:15:15 | Christopher Toroitich (KEN) | 2:34:50 | Anzhelika Averkova (UKR) |
| 2008 | 2:16:44 | David Ngeny Cheruiyot (KEN) | 2:40:17 | Tatyana Belovol (UKR) |
| 2009 | 2:20:24 | Nicholas Stanko (USA) | 2:57:10 | Sarah Plaxton (USA) |
| 2010 | 2:28:30 | Jordan Desilets (USA) | 2:52:14 | Paula Keating (CAN) |
| 2011 | 2:28:22 | Derek Nakluski (CAN) | 2:44:09 | Wioletta Kryza (POL) |
| 2012 | 2:25:26 | Vyacheslav Shabunin (RUS) | 2:46:33 | Lyubov Denisova (RUS) |
| 2013 | 2:20:11 | Zachary Ornelas (USA) | 2:44:53 | Lyubov Denisova (RUS) |
| 2014 | 2:24:54 | Michael Andersen (USA) | 2:45:52 | Courtney Brewis (USA) |
| 2015 | 2:20:21 | Zachary Ornelas (USA) | 2:41:35 | Lyubov Denisova (RUS) |
| 2016 | 2:19:20 | Alan Peterson (USA) | 2:43:54 | Lyudmila Korchagina (CAN) |
| 2017 | 2:22:53 | Johnathan Mott (USA) | 2:49:53 | Valentyna Poltavska (UKR) |
| 2018 | 2:20:59 | Christopher Chipsiya (KEN) | 2:47:24 | Lyudmila Korchagina (CAN) |
| 2019 | 2:18:59 | Christopher Chipsiya (KEN) | 2:39:20 | Joan Massah (KEN) |
| 2020 | cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic[3] | |||
| 2021 | 2:22:03 | Ryan Corby (USA) | 2:51:08 | Becca Addison (USA) |
| 2022 | 2:24:28 | Ryan Corby (USA) | 2:42:25 | Mary Beasley (USA) |
References
- "Marathon". October 18, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-09-18. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
- Eric Sharp (October 19, 2009). "Detroit marathon a joyous, sobering race". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- "Detroit Free Press Marathon | 2020 Race Update". 24 July 2020.