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Detroit Free Press Marathon
At a glance
- Race day
- The 2026 race
- Next race
- Date not out yet
- Last run Sun 18 Oct
- Start
- 07:007:00 AM
- Distance
- 42.2 km26.2 mi
- Marathon · Half marathon · 5K · Relay · miles
- Time limit
- 6 h 30 min
The course
The entrance to the Ambassador Bridge is approximately 2 miles (about 3.2 km) after the start, and the course also runs through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.
- Over the Ambassador Bridge into CanadaThe bridge comes about 2 miles in; the tunnel closes to traffic from about 6:15 to 10:30 a.m.
- A border race, so bring your papersIn-person bib pickup with a passport, passport card or enhanced driver's licence; none on race day.
- Detroit's neighbourhoods and a finish at Campus MartiusStart on Fort Street, finish on Woodward at Congress, just south of Campus Martius.
Course notes 4 short reads on the course
Whole courseLandmarkOver the Ambassador Bridge into CanadaThe bridge comes about 2 miles in; the tunnel closes to traffic from about 6:15 to 10:30 a.m.
The organiser describes the bridge as “an iconic feature” of the race since 1999 and promises “panoramic views of two bustling city skylines”. Its FAQ warns that the entrance is about 2 miles after the start and that the narrow running passage may become congested, so it asks runners to start in their assigned wave and to refrain from taking pictures or selfies on the bridge.
The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel closes to traffic on race day, “approximately 6:15-10:30 a.m.”. On devices, “Most GPS systems will continue over the Ambassador Bridge, but drop out upon entering the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and resume on the other side.”
Sourced
Whole courseConditionsA border race, so bring your papersIn-person bib pickup with a passport, passport card or enhanced driver's licence; none on race day.
The marathon page says the race “is an international race and requires a valid travel document”. The FAQ says that all participants in an event that crosses the U.S./Canadian border (the marathon, the International Half-Marathon and Relay Leg 1) “regardless of citizenship, must show up in person in order to pick up their packet”, with “no exceptions, and no picking up of packets on race day”. The expo page lists a passport, a passport card or an enhanced driver’s licence as the usual proof of identity. The expo runs 1 to 7 p.m. on Friday 16 October and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday 17 October 2026.
Sourced
Whole courseFinishDetroit's neighbourhoods and a finish at Campus MartiusStart on Fort Street, finish on Woodward at Congress, just south of Campus Martius.
The marathon page says “A true showcase of Detroit, the course features iconic neighborhoods like the historic Woodbridge, the District Detroit, Eastern Market, the Dequindre Cut and a finish line at the foot of Campus Martius”. The start is on Fort Street between the Lodge Service Drive and 3rd Avenue. The finish line is on Woodward at Congress, south of Campus Martius; gear check is on Monroe, just north of Campus Martius, and Runner Reunite is on the northwest side of Campus Martius. The organiser also notes that courses are subject to change.
Sourced
Whole courseTacticsThree-minute waves, two course clocks, a 6.5-hour limitWaves from 7 a.m.; clocks at mile 13.1 and 20 show gun time; finish line closes at 2 p.m.
The organiser sends participants off “at three-minute intervals beginning at 7 a.m.” in groups based on the projected pace given at registration. Its two timing clocks, at mile 13.1 and mile 20, are set to the gun time, the start of Corral A. The FAQ adds: “It takes more than 30 minutes to get all runners on course”, so each runner’s own time starts when they cross the start mats and the clocks are accurate only for the first starters. The finish line closes at 2 p.m., with roads incrementally opening along the course. Runners who fall significantly behind the Last Chance Pacer are first warned and then required to board a following bus.
Sourced
Race weekend
Before race week 1 key date
-
8 Sept 2026 · 23:5911:59 PM
Online registration for the Marathon closes Closes at 11:59 p.m. unless sell-out capacity is reached earlier. The marathon page now reads sold out and links a waitlist.
Friday 16 October Expo
-
13:001:00 PM–19:007:00 PM
Health & Fitness Expo Huntington Place, 1 Washington Blvd. Free and open to the public. Marathon, International Half-Marathon and Relay Leg 1 packets are collected in person here or on Saturday, with a passport, passport card or enhanced driver's licence.
Saturday 17 October Expo
-
10:0010:00 AM–18:006:00 PM
Health & Fitness Expo Huntington Place, 1 Washington Blvd. Last day of packet pickup for the marathon. There is no pickup on race day.
Sunday 18 October Race day
-
05:305:30 AM–14:302:30 PM
Gear check opens Monroe Street, just north of Campus Martius. One location only, near the finish line and a few blocks from the start corrals. There is no gear check at the start line. -
06:156:15 AM–10:3010:30 AM
Detroit-Windsor Tunnel closed Stated by the organiser as approximately 6:15 to 10:30 a.m. The Ambassador Bridge has restricted traffic on race day. -
06:156:15 AM–06:556:55 AM
Start corrals open Fort Street, between 1st and Shelby. Corrals close at 6:55 a.m. and no late starts are allowed. -
06:586:58 AM
Adaptive Athlete Division start Fort Street, between the Lodge Service Drive and 3rd Avenue -
07:007:00 AM
Marathon start Fort Street, between the Lodge Service Drive and 3rd Avenue. Wave start at three-minute intervals beginning at 7 a.m.; waves are set by the projected pace given at registration.
Cut-offs (2)
-
14:002:00 PM
Marathon finish line closes Woodward Avenue at Congress Street. Roads open incrementally along the course up to the 2 p.m. cutoff. -
Time not published
Marathon time limit 6.5 hours from the time the Last Chance Pacer crosses the start line; runners who fall behind the pacer are taken back by bus.
Times as published by the organiser, in Detroit time, checked . Confirm on their site before you travel.
The forecast for Sunday
Race morning, on the record
Add to calendar .ics file, times in Detroit time
Entry
Race fuel
Energy gel
5 gels for Detroit, plus 1 spare
Finish
One every 40 minutes, by the clock:
Under about 75 minutes most runners need no gel: water at the aid stations does it.
- km 7mile 4.4
- km 14.1mile 8.7
- km 21.1mile 13.1
- km 28.1mile 17.5
- km 35.2mile 21.8
For your long training runs:
Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side. Enough for race day and two test long runs.
Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.
Only the gel you trained with. Nothing new on race day.
Get it on Amazon
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In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.
Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.
Anti-chafe
Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml
An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.
Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.
Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.
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We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Number belt
Compressport Race Belt
Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.
Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.
Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.
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Electrolytes
SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20
One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.
One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.
Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Blister plasters
Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6
One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.
Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.
Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Questions about the Detroit Free Press Marathon
- When is the Detroit Free Press Marathon 2026?
- Sunday 18 October 2026. The start is at 7:00 AM.
- What is the time limit at the Detroit Free Press Marathon?
- Runners have 6 h 30 min to finish.
- Where does the Detroit Free Press Marathon start?
- Start: Fort Street, between the Lodge Service Drive and 3rd Avenue.
Keep exploring
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