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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: 406 [displaying comments 341 to 351]
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L. D. from north of Memphis
(10/12/2003)
"Could be great with some improvements" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 A friend and I were able to park within 50 yards of the start. Overall I really enjoyed the course. The general layout is great with the Ambassador Bridge, the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, the view of Detroit from the Canadian side, Belle Island, and the neighborhoods. Special thanks to the bagpiper and the Mexican band. However, some streets were in disrepair and you had to watch your footing closely. Also the entrance into Ford Field is very steep. When you enter from the bright sunlight into the darker tunnel it is difficult to judge the downslope. After 26 miles it would be easy to fall and the rough concrete could really skin you up. The spacing of the water stops was erratic and some of the early mile markers were misplaced. My only major complaint was with the host hotel. It was a joke. We weren't allowed to take even small coolers into the hotel. There was a $20/day valet parking fee. The expo/packet pick-up was several blocks away and getting to the People Mover was very confusing. We went out for pasta Saturday evening and when we came back the hotel was hosting an event with Oprah. The traffic was so jammed up it took 45 minutes to park the car. The only way one knew it was the host hotel was by the welcome banner over the information booth. The volunteers were great and the fans were enthusiastic. The shirt was very nice and the finisher's medal was great. The overall experience was very good, but some minor changes could greatly improve the marathon. | |
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D. T. from Traverse City, MI
(10/11/2003)
"Great race, poor start" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 My comments reflect what many others have said. 'Race Organizers- read them all and find the trend'. I stood in line for 40 minutes and got into the porta-john with the 'one minute to race time' announcement. There are many nearby parking lots basically empty. Please move the current porta-john location and increase 4-fold. I also felt several of the mile markers were misplaced. Now that my complaining is over, the rest of the marathon is conducted as if the organizers really want to get all of the details right. Detroit is a hidden gem of sorts and worth putting on your list. | |
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N. S. from Delaware
(10/10/2003)
"The race was fantastic" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race was well organized. The volunteers were outstanding. I was full of water and Gatorade by mile 13. The water stations were well supported by cross-country teams and volunteers. I was amazed. I have run larger marathons, but this was the best. The fan support was outstanding also. I had a blast!! | |
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D. B. from Flushing, Michigan
(10/8/2003)
"The course is beautiful" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This is my 2nd Detroit Marathon. I love the course! The only complaints would be the porta-johns are too close to the start line; it was very confusing. Also there weren't enough porta-johns. We were still in line with many people behind us when the race started. | |
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Kyle Okimoto from New York NY
(10/7/2003)
"Highly Underrated Race" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This marathon is an excellent marathon. It can accommodate a much larger field, and it deserves to. The course is a fast, well laid out, and interesting. The only real hills are in the tunnel and on the bridge, which are also two of the best features of the course, along with the novelty of running into Canada, Belle Isle, and finishing on Ford Field. The course is great for a PR, along with the size of the field, but I can see how the unpredictable fall weather could make it very tough. Breezes off of Belle Isle would be unbearable. As a city, Detroit is on the way back. Please visit this city! The residents of Detroit are great; the journeys through the Mexican neighborhood at the beginning and Indian Village in the late teens were highlights. The free beer at mile 19 made me smile and was a welcome pick me up. Yes, the aid stations were a bit irregularly placed, but there are so many of them that it is really not much of a problem. The start was a bit disorganized and there were not enough porta-potties but this is always the case. Guys, just bring a wide mouth Gatorade bottle just in case. Spectators were sparse at many points, but those who were there really helped out a lot. Thanks to all of them. The main issue I have with the race is the website is pretty disorganized. It's hard to navigate from place to place, and where are the results? You really have to search to find them. Other than that, this is a very well organized race. The expo is nice for a race of this size, and there were some great clothing bargains at the opening of the expo. I'd love to run this fine race again. | |
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J. C. from Chicago, IL
(10/7/2003)
"On par with the windy city" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Detroit tends to receive a bad rap in the media. Some of it is warranted, much of it is not. I think that's why this race might be sometimes overlooked by the running community, especially with Chicago presenting itself a week later. With that said, Detroit is an outstanding marathon. This was my second, with my first being Chicago's Lakeshore Marathon in May. Detroit has everything a runner could ask for - great crowd support, excellent water/Gatorade aid stations, gorgeous scenery both in the Motor City and Windsor, ON, and a very flat, fast course that doesn't leave you spent. The best part of the race was the predicted marathon chart right after the half-marathon checkpoint. That kept my pace honest and I stayed focused. It was appreciated. The start at Comerica Park and end at the 50-yard line of Ford Field were also nice touches. Overall, I ran a 3:24 - a 17 minute improvement over my first. It won't get me into Boston, but was a solid enough time to motivate me to train hard on the lakefront path this winter. | |
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J. N. from Clarkston, MI
(10/7/2003)
"First Marathon!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Missed the start because lined for over 1/2 hour to use porta-johns!! Not enough water and energy food at the finish line where it would have been greatly appreciated - had to walk up numerous steps to get any post-marathon nurishment! Enjoyed the course and spectactors, and had a great time, especially as my sister and brother-in-law had flown in from England to accompany me. | |
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C. B. from Toronto Canada
(10/7/2003)
"Very Unique Race" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was a challenging course with lots to see and experience along the way. Running into Canada and back was the highlight of the race for me. The Ford Field finish was great too. Crowd support coming out of the tunnel into the US and at the Belle Island bridge was incredible. Great shirt and medal to add to my collection. Only improvement I can recommend is a wider selection of food at the end of the race. | |
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Jimbo Baggins from USA East Coast
(10/6/2003)
"Needed accurate mile markers" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 All the other comments are pretty accurate, so I'll just add some info to help you plan your run. And do run this marathon because it is great. Like everyone has said, this is a really fun race with a great course. If you are a mid-pack runner, plan on losing about 30 seconds or so for the incline of the Ambassador Bridge and likewise in the tunnel. Also, there are small inclines throughout the course, including the bridge to Belle Isle (twice). It's not a big deal, but even a speed bump seems noticable after 26.2 miles. Just don't expect perfectly flat, although it is relatively close to flat. I really don't ask much of race organizers, but accurate mile markers are a must. The 5 mile marker was wildly misplaced, but it was so bad that all the runners realized it and warned each other. The 8 mile marker (in the tunnel) also seemed off. I don't know if this has happened in the past, but if you run this race next year and suddenly find yourself a minute ahead (or behind) pace, question yourself before taking action. Some of the other comments have discussed the steep quarter mile down hill at the finish. The middle of the stadium is at ground level and the field is down in a pit. To get down, there is a very steep grade -- nothing like you've ever run on before -- then a level stretch, then more steep grade, then level stretch, etc. This repeats probably 5 or 6 times. What this means to you is that you will not be able to kick to the finish (except for the last 40 yeards) and will actually lose time over the last quarter mile. Plan accordingly. The crowds are relatively sparse. Just pockets of people here and there. The crowds which showed up were great and enthused, but there were long stretches with not much going on. Don't expect NYC-like crowds or even the crowds at some smaller marathons like Twin Cities. While there are 25 water stops, it seems like they are placed willy-nilly. Unfortunately, the organizers do not publish the exact locations, so if you want to plan on taking GU or Power Gel at a certain mile mark, you have to guess while you are running whether you are at the closest station. It may sound like I am just complaining and I don't mean to because this really is a great race. Everyone else has covered the good aspects, so I figured I'd give you a heads up on things no one else has mentioned. BTW, Detroit really is on a comeback. Don't let its prior rep scare you off from running this marathon. Lots of revitalization and building downtown. | |
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Melissa currie from Grand Rapids, Michigan
(10/6/2003)
"I thought this marathon was awesome!! " (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I would definitely do this marathon again. What a great course. The trip into Canada is so cool. I like the smaller size of the marathon. The support is good. The finish is the stadium was awesome. I have done 5 marathons now, and this was one of my favorites!! |
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