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Race Details Ratings 25 Reports 41

Race Reports for Detroit Free Press Half Marathon

[1]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: This is always a good race, there is nothing like running over the bridge and through the tunnel.
[2]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Highly recommend this race to anyone intersted.
[3]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I love Detroit!
[4]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Takeaways: (1) Listen to my body; (2) Nutrition - less is more for this distance; (3) Hard, focused and smart work can result in tremendous gains
[5]
Reported by:
User photo
  • Organised?
  • Events on time?

  • Lots of volunteers to help?
  • Plenty of drink stations?

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability:

  • Comments: Things I liked: Running over the bridge and seeing the view of Windsor and Detroit. Running an underwater mile. Running through two countries, crossing an international border crossing twice. Hearing Canadians cheer us on, with a distinct Canadian accent. :D Being welcomed back to the great US of A. :D Mile markers were clear, and I did not miss a single one (which surprised me!) As someone who doesn't do big races often, I liked the atmosphere. Happy to get a long sleeve tech T. It was also cool that they differentiated the shirts between marathon, half marathon, and relay. They also definitely get an A+ for social media presence! They are very engaging with their facebook and twitter audiences and I think it adds to the excitement. The so-so: the post-race massage idea was nice, although they are students, so I feel it's probably hit or miss (I think I got a miss...) I wasn't too impressed with the post-race food. Although the chocolate milk was nice.
[6]
Reported by:
User photo
  • Organised?
  • Events on time?

  • Lots of volunteers to help?
  • Plenty of drink stations?

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability:

  • Comments: I had signed up for the full but ended up coming in at the half so my time is an estimate by using Cathy's race result.
[7]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Didn't stick around for post race. Lots of bands, cheerleaders and volunteers. And HOW awesome is it to run in two countries in one day. Ok going over the bridge was windy as hell and back up through the tunnel was a heck of a hill. But GREAT EVENT. I love the way downtown Detroit looks. And I loved being able to see family in Canada and Friends in the US.
[8]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: The Detroit Marathon and Half Marathon are great events. I would recommend them to anyone.
[9]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: It would have gotten a 5 if I'd gotten to run with BOTH the Potter boys! \ :-) I will be doing this race again...lots of BT'rs and teammates were there, I saw Cheryl and Eric, Kellie and Kathleen out on the course which was awesome and really nice, and my Jogo went with to support me and be my sherpa! All very good things!!! I feel like I am becoming a runner! Sweet!
[10]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Was proud that I was able to cross the finish line. I didnt really set a time gaol, for the first race i just wanted to finish. Had been training with 10 min run, 1 min walk, however at race, did (2) 20 sec walk and (1) 50 sec walk. Never forget the feeling of crossing the finish line. For a first timer, this was a great race to experience. I did train with a partner, however, his grampa ended up sick and he was unable to run. Still glad that i went trough with the race, awesome feeling to complete something off the goal list.
[11]
Reported by:
Race rating (3)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Below average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: The construction just before going over the bridge caused a lot of walking as there was a bottleneck here in order to get over the bridge. It seems that it was the perfect storm with the way they started the race. I hope this is changed next year.
[12]
Reported by:
Race rating (3)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Starting the half marathon 5 minutes after the marathon was a terrible decision by the race organizers.
[13]
Reported by:
User photo
  • Organised?
  • Events on time?

  • Lots of volunteers to help?
  • Plenty of drink stations?

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability:

  • Comments: This was just a race for fun. No formal training routine with no long runs in prep for the race. The day was beautiful!
[14]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I think the decision to start the half marathon 5 minutes after the marathon was necessary due to construction on the bridge but it created its own set of problems. Walkers also started 5 minutes before the half.
[15]
Reported by:
User photo
  • Organised?
  • Events on time?

  • Lots of volunteers to help?
  • Plenty of drink stations?

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability:

  • Comments: This race was great except for the serious cold I was fighting. The beginning of the race was good but when I hit the tunnel the heat was just awful and next thing I knew I was walking and that was the end of it.
[16]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Below average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Crossing the border was very exciting. I am contemplating doing the marathon in 2008 just to see Belle Isle!
[17]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: We got screwed on parking that was my only complaint. We parked in a lot not to far from the start. Paid for parking, only to find out when we came back to the car that they guys we paid for parking were scamming us and we had to pay the real attendant for parking again or get the car towed. What a load of crap.
[18]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Food was better than last year. From Whole Food Markets suprising not great pre-race food.
[19]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I really think Detroit is an under-rated big city marathon. They're doing a great job with the race itself, now they just need to figure out the start and finish.
[20]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: My favorite race. I do this every year that I can!
[21]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: The music at various stages of the race was very uplifting! The spectators were great and the weather wasn't as bad as it had been during the week prior. The wind sucked at certain stages, but it was bearable. I wish I was smaller and could have hidden behind a few folks to keep the chill off me.
[22]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Below average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: My only issue with the race was the post race food spread. We didn't have a lot of choices on what to eat and they gave us a banana and an orange in a bag. Some other family members ran the marathon and by the time they finished - around 4:30-5:30... the food was just about all gone. My poor mom running her first mary got jipped for post race nutrition.
[23]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: You need to get out here and do the Detroit Marathon. It is seriously amazing!!! You will not regret it! I really plan on doing my first full marathon here next year depending on my other time committments..I hope I have time to train. I loved it!
[24]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Too easy

  • Comments: very interesting course. i mentioned the international travel earlier, and then finishing on the 50 yard line in Ford Field as you watch yourself on the jumbotron is pretty cool. it was also nice to have a comfortable spot to sit and stretch after the race (turf). the ground outside woulda been horrible. i may do it again (the half) as a season ending fun run.
[25]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Below average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: This is a good race. Water/Gatorade every mile was really nice. Every mile was marked, and the finish on Ford Field was seriously rad ;) A little more substance to the food would be nice, but overall, this is a well-run race, and I would do it again.
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