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Marathon Details - Martian Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > MI > Dearborn > Martian Marathon

Martian Marathon

RF Events Martian Marathon & 26K, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, 1.2M

Dearborn, MI USA

April 12, 2025

http://www.martianraces.com

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Race Details

The USATF certified course, is traffic free and fast. The Mini-Martian Marathon will encourage health and fitness to children, check out the Martian Kids link. All courses are out and back, chip timed. Hope to see all of you there!

Contact Information

Name:	Randy Step
Address:	5700 Jackson Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Phone Number:	734.929.9027
Email:	Email the organizers

More Information


Number of Runners:	5,000
Number of Spectators:	1,000
Fees & Deadlines:	See website for details
Start Time:	See website
Course Highlights:	The USATF certified course, is traffic free and fast.
Course Refreshments:	See website for details
Certified? Certification:	Yes, MI24007MN
Race Day Registration:	YES
Online Registration:	www.martianraces.com
Packet Pickup Info:	See website for details
Marathon Ratings:	Course Scenery/Beauty/Interest: Good for First Timers: Crowd Support: Course Speed:

Runner Reviews (108)

Course 3.9

Organization 4.4

Spectators 2.9

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Number of comments: 108 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 11 > ]

D. D. from MI (4/15/2019) "Small, but well organized race" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 It's a small race so if you are looking for a big crowd then this isn't for you. The course isn't anything remarkable either. However, the volunteers were incredible. The course is very well marked and the bike pacers were truly outstanding. They provides loads of communication and directions. Absolutely the best I have ever ran with! Packet pick-up was easy and efficient. The expo is even a little bigger than I would have expected based on the race size. Plenty of bathrooms and parking for the start/finish area. Considering the low cost, a nice little race for the price.
R. K. from Mississauga Ontario (4/13/2019) "A hidden gem that Runners World should profile." (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Course: this is not a super flat course like Chicago or Erie but there's nothing overwhelming. A few rolling hills (1% ers) on the out and back portion on Edward Hines Pkwy. We had a 15KM/h or 9Mph headwind on the way out which is west and southwest bound but got it at out backs on the way home. The road camber or slant isn't bad at all...just move around a bit to adjust. You'll get a mix of left and right camber so you'll be fine. Lots of aid stations and well stocked. I guess some call the course boring but I would argue that it was interesting until mile 10 and then out and back predictable from that point on so as to allow you to focus on running. The course actually takes you by Henry Ford's house... that's not boring! Nice shack BTW. Organization: top notch. Kudos to the race director who I think was the guy who personally thanked me for running their marathon as I crossed the finish. How classy is that! Lots of emails in the home stretch to make sure we were well informed and each email referenced the previous emails to allow you to catch up if you missed one. Premium parking for the early start marathoners which was sweet. No problem exiting either. Food: worth a quick mention because they had the usual bananas and bagels but they also had chips and chocolate chunk cookies. If they had a coke, I would have been in heaven! Spectators: like 40 people total over the 26 miles. No one yelled 'looking good' or the other usual lies we don't want to hear when we look and feel like sh!t. If you need crowd support (and that's totally cool if you do) you need to go to a bigger race. That said, you'll make 20 new best friends with the 10 that finish ahead and behind you. Noteworthy: the race announcer (Dave, I think) is a dead ringer for Forrest Gump and a super nice guy and full of energy. I'm getting a selfie with him next year. BTW, I send the poor Director about 5 emails with all sorts of silly questions and they all got answered promptly. Overall: a hidden gem that Runners World should profile.
D. V. from Michigan (4/18/2018) "Very boring course" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Running Fit puts on a good race, but the Martian Marathon is a mindnumbingly boring course. At 10 miles you turn left on a road until a turnaround at 16+, then you race back down the same road for another 7+. In total half the marathon is on a single, boring road that is completely slanted. Even prior to 10 miles runners are just winding through suburban neighborhoods. Nothing to see. No landmarks.
S. M. from Ottawa, ON (4/24/2017) "98th Full Marathon! I will return..." (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Martian Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my first race outside of Canada in 2008. I wanted to see how the region was in 2017 with the news of the new Ford plant being built and the fact that the first time I ran it GM and Chrysler were close to going bust. The marathon race course started at 7:15 and you could park right at the start. Plenty of parking right at the start and finish line for free! I stayed at the Red Roof Inn for $79 a night which is pretty cheap considering. Course was flat overall with the first 10 miles going through suburbs. The next 13 are on an out and back which features flush toilets. At least 6 GU stops along the way and good water stops. Fans are very good. Food was okay with Hummus and pretzel sticks. The marathon was small with less than 300 people registered. Well worth doing again for the price.
sanjay mohanta from ottawa, ON (4/9/2016) "79th! Marathon! A tough time for all!" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Martian Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 There were snow squalls so bad I could not see anything for nearly a mile, the weather was so cold my camelback froze and most of the water and Gatorade was frozen. The shirts were more 'Canadian' than Cormanesque so a bit of a let down. The medal was nice as was the free parking. Many of indoor flush toilet facilities were closed. I really like this race and have been doing since 2009. Many Maniacs on the course and many familiar faces from Ann Arbor last week. A tough course with the weather but I was able to run up the steep hills at 24 and 25 miles. Highly recommended. Also, check out Donutville USA. Tell them you are from Canada!
Sanjay Mohanta from Ottawa, ON (4/20/2015) "66th marathon! Must do for everyone!" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Martian Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was the first US marathon I did and it really impressed me. I signed up for it because it guaranteed the ugliest race shirt in North America. Over the years it went to the coolest to this year where it was well - Canadian. The course really showed off all of Dearborn and flush toilets were nice. I still prefer toilet stalls with doors and washing my hand in clear not Gatorade orange water. The post race food was only pretzels and cookies. I really like the idea of free parking at the start and the numerous maniacs on the course. It is worth the drive from Ottawa. Check out the Motown museum as well. The coolest was the number of people who remembered me from the previous races. A good race!
Sanjay Mohanta from Ottawa, ON (4/22/2014) "My 53rd Marathon!" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 4-5 Martian Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I originally did this race in 2009 because of their ugle race shirts. They are slowly getting back to the Cormanesque nature of the shirts I love. The host hotel was amazing. With free GU, protein bars, gatorade and fruit the day before and during race day. Free shuttles to the start of the race was nice too. The rates were cheap as well. The hills near the end kill you but the enthusiastic crowd at the end are nice. I will be back next year for sure!
A. W. from Central Ohio (4/15/2014) "Great Event" (about: 2014) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, and I could not have asked for a better experience. The race was expertly organized - including timely email communications leading up to race day. Friendly police and volunteers along the course. There were plenty of well-stocked aid stations along the course with water and gatorade - and some stations with Gu Energy Gels. The course was relatively flat with a few hills. The beginning miles (approx. 1-8) were through residental neighborhoods, then the course returns to the main roads and mostly follows a single main road on an out and back course. The race t-shirt was nice, and the medal was a cool alien face. The marathon field size was approx. 360 runners. After the naratgib starts,several other races were held - in case you have a family member that might want to run, but not a full marathon: 5K, 10K, half marathon, and a kids race. Overall a great event.
E. B. from Ann Arbor, Michigan (4/14/2014) "Fantastic small marathonclearly organized by run" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Although the course is a little dull, the slightly rolling terrain is much appreciated. The organizers made this as easy as possible for marathonersdedicated parking right next to the start/finish (and portajohns)and we started 1.5 hours before the half the starting line was much less congested. It was also a great boost to come across half-marathoners going roughly our same speed toward the end.
D. M. from Detroit, Mi (4/13/2014) "Small, positive suburb marathon!" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Course is great! Running through the nice parts of Dearborn and Hines Park is wonderful. The hills are extremely fair. Heck, I set a P.R. on here by 7 minutes! Only knock on the event are the spectators. The way the course is designed, there are very few fans on the course. Besides that, I would definitely recommend this growing event!

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 11 > ]



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D. D. from MI (4/15/2019) "Small, but well organized race" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 It's a small race so if you are looking for a big crowd then this isn't for you. The course isn't anything remarkable either. However, the volunteers were incredible. The course is very well marked and the bike pacers were truly outstanding. They provides loads of communication and directions. Absolutely the best I have ever ran with! Packet pick-up was easy and efficient. The expo is even a little bigger than I would have expected based on the race size. Plenty of bathrooms and parking for the start/finish area. Considering the low cost, a nice little race for the price.
R. K. from Mississauga Ontario (4/13/2019) "A hidden gem that Runners World should profile." (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Course: this is not a super flat course like Chicago or Erie but there's nothing overwhelming. A few rolling hills (1% ers) on the out and back portion on Edward Hines Pkwy. We had a 15KM/h or 9Mph headwind on the way out which is west and southwest bound but got it at out backs on the way home. The road camber or slant isn't bad at all...just move around a bit to adjust. You'll get a mix of left and right camber so you'll be fine. Lots of aid stations and well stocked. I guess some call the course boring but I would argue that it was interesting until mile 10 and then out and back predictable from that point on so as to allow you to focus on running. The course actually takes you by Henry Ford's house... that's not boring! Nice shack BTW. Organization: top notch. Kudos to the race director who I think was the guy who personally thanked me for running their marathon as I crossed the finish. How classy is that! Lots of emails in the home stretch to make sure we were well informed and each email referenced the previous emails to allow you to catch up if you missed one. Premium parking for the early start marathoners which was sweet. No problem exiting either. Food: worth a quick mention because they had the usual bananas and bagels but they also had chips and chocolate chunk cookies. If they had a coke, I would have been in heaven! Spectators: like 40 people total over the 26 miles. No one yelled 'looking good' or the other usual lies we don't want to hear when we look and feel like sh!t. If you need crowd support (and that's totally cool if you do) you need to go to a bigger race. That said, you'll make 20 new best friends with the 10 that finish ahead and behind you. Noteworthy: the race announcer (Dave, I think) is a dead ringer for Forrest Gump and a super nice guy and full of energy. I'm getting a selfie with him next year. BTW, I send the poor Director about 5 emails with all sorts of silly questions and they all got answered promptly. Overall: a hidden gem that Runners World should profile.
D. V. from Michigan (4/18/2018) "Very boring course" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Running Fit puts on a good race, but the Martian Marathon is a mindnumbingly boring course. At 10 miles you turn left on a road until a turnaround at 16+, then you race back down the same road for another 7+. In total half the marathon is on a single, boring road that is completely slanted. Even prior to 10 miles runners are just winding through suburban neighborhoods. Nothing to see. No landmarks.
S. M. from Ottawa, ON (4/24/2017) "98th Full Marathon! I will return..." (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Martian Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my first race outside of Canada in 2008. I wanted to see how the region was in 2017 with the news of the new Ford plant being built and the fact that the first time I ran it GM and Chrysler were close to going bust. The marathon race course started at 7:15 and you could park right at the start. Plenty of parking right at the start and finish line for free! I stayed at the Red Roof Inn for $79 a night which is pretty cheap considering. Course was flat overall with the first 10 miles going through suburbs. The next 13 are on an out and back which features flush toilets. At least 6 GU stops along the way and good water stops. Fans are very good. Food was okay with Hummus and pretzel sticks. The marathon was small with less than 300 people registered. Well worth doing again for the price.
sanjay mohanta from ottawa, ON (4/9/2016) "79th! Marathon! A tough time for all!" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Martian Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 There were snow squalls so bad I could not see anything for nearly a mile, the weather was so cold my camelback froze and most of the water and Gatorade was frozen. The shirts were more 'Canadian' than Cormanesque so a bit of a let down. The medal was nice as was the free parking. Many of indoor flush toilet facilities were closed. I really like this race and have been doing since 2009. Many Maniacs on the course and many familiar faces from Ann Arbor last week. A tough course with the weather but I was able to run up the steep hills at 24 and 25 miles. Highly recommended. Also, check out Donutville USA. Tell them you are from Canada!
Sanjay Mohanta from Ottawa, ON (4/20/2015) "66th marathon! Must do for everyone!" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Martian Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was the first US marathon I did and it really impressed me. I signed up for it because it guaranteed the ugliest race shirt in North America. Over the years it went to the coolest to this year where it was well - Canadian. The course really showed off all of Dearborn and flush toilets were nice. I still prefer toilet stalls with doors and washing my hand in clear not Gatorade orange water. The post race food was only pretzels and cookies. I really like the idea of free parking at the start and the numerous maniacs on the course. It is worth the drive from Ottawa. Check out the Motown museum as well. The coolest was the number of people who remembered me from the previous races. A good race!
Sanjay Mohanta from Ottawa, ON (4/22/2014) "My 53rd Marathon!" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 4-5 Martian Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I originally did this race in 2009 because of their ugle race shirts. They are slowly getting back to the Cormanesque nature of the shirts I love. The host hotel was amazing. With free GU, protein bars, gatorade and fruit the day before and during race day. Free shuttles to the start of the race was nice too. The rates were cheap as well. The hills near the end kill you but the enthusiastic crowd at the end are nice. I will be back next year for sure!
A. W. from Central Ohio (4/15/2014) "Great Event" (about: 2014) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, and I could not have asked for a better experience. The race was expertly organized - including timely email communications leading up to race day. Friendly police and volunteers along the course. There were plenty of well-stocked aid stations along the course with water and gatorade - and some stations with Gu Energy Gels. The course was relatively flat with a few hills. The beginning miles (approx. 1-8) were through residental neighborhoods, then the course returns to the main roads and mostly follows a single main road on an out and back course. The race t-shirt was nice, and the medal was a cool alien face. The marathon field size was approx. 360 runners. After the naratgib starts,several other races were held - in case you have a family member that might want to run, but not a full marathon: 5K, 10K, half marathon, and a kids race. Overall a great event.
E. B. from Ann Arbor, Michigan (4/14/2014) "Fantastic small marathonclearly organized by run" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Although the course is a little dull, the slightly rolling terrain is much appreciated. The organizers made this as easy as possible for marathonersdedicated parking right next to the start/finish (and portajohns)and we started 1.5 hours before the half the starting line was much less congested. It was also a great boost to come across half-marathoners going roughly our same speed toward the end.
D. M. from Detroit, Mi (4/13/2014) "Small, positive suburb marathon!" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Course is great! Running through the nice parts of Dearborn and Hines Park is wonderful. The hills are extremely fair. Heck, I set a P.R. on here by 7 minutes! Only knock on the event are the spectators. The way the course is designed, there are very few fans on the course. Besides that, I would definitely recommend this growing event!

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Marathon Details - Martian Marathon