With 26,000 runners, it’s safe to say that no two runners are the same. We all differ on our favorite parts, reasons for participating and running styles. Celebrating these differences, this July, we asked everyone to ‘in one sentence, tell us why…” for five different questions. Below are some highlights from each of the five questions!

With a special shout out to Stephanie Webb Miller: “I chose to run my first International Half in 2013 to overcome my fear of running through the tunnel. I’ve never been afraid to drive through it but had terrible nightmares of running through. I knew the only way to get over it was to do it! I didn’t know until race time that my friend/sole sister, Jeannie had the same concerns as me. We got through it together and have memories that will last a lifetime. The International Half is my favorite race ever. I can’t wait to be back in October! I’m bringing a first timer with me!!! We’re so excited! We’ll be running for my Dad and her Mom. They’re warriors, battling cancer right now. That tunnel won’t stop us!”

The start line is our favorite place to be on race weekend as well. There is nothing like the energy of thousands of people getting amped up to give it their all and see all of their training pay off.

Running over a bridge and into another country makes our race pretty unique. We love how this experience brings our two countries together.

T

he tunnel isn’t everyone’s favorite part of this race, but it’s the only underwater mile in the world! Did you know that the tunnel is 90 feet

underground? We have another special shout out from Yoop Erx, “I love running through the tunnel so I can take a selfie at the border while running. It never turns out, is always blurry and I always explain, ‘It’s because we’re running under water!’”

Asking why our runners listen to music while running started a debate greater than the water or Gatorade first at the fluid station. We think it’s important to say that if you do listen to music while you run, it’s important to make sure that the conditions are safe, for example if you’re getting some miles in on a treadmill, and that if you are running outside you are making sure that you can still pay attention to your surroundings, and hear everything going on around you! Some of our runners on this post suggested running with one ear bud out, or using headphones that don’t actually go into your ears. If you have any tips for runner safety don’t hesitate to share them with us!

Our 2019 participant shirts are in! If you haven’t already gotten a sneak peek of our shirts in the Detroit Marathon Runners or Rookie Round-up Facebook groups, we are so excited to share some pictures of our race staff wearing them here! Inspired by the Ambassador Bridge and the Spirit of Detroit, the international landmarks appear on the back of the shirts. If you’re running a Sunday race (Full Marathon, International Half-Marathon, U.S.-Only Half-Marathon, Five-person Marathon Relay, The Wonder, and The Supreme), your shirt will feature the Ambassador Bridge. If you’re running a Saturday race (1-Mile, 5k, and Temptation), your shirt will feature the Spirit of Detroit. Every shirt will showcase the distance on the front and back of the shirt!

Check out the shirts below, modeled by our own Marathon Staff!

• Each event has a unique shirt, showcasing the distance and name of the event on the front and back.
• All shirts will be long-sleeved.
• Each shirt is from New Balance and made of a technical, dry-fit fabric (Kids Fun Run shirts will be a cotton blend).
• Shirts are gender-specific sizing, each with a crewneck cut.
• The shirts will either be Outer Space or Summer Fog.

Let us guess what you’ll say next…

These shirts are awesome! I can’t wait to get mine!
Thanks! We’ve been working on them since late February and are so excited to share them with you! Special shout-out to our designer, Kevin, who worked tirelessly on them.

How’s the sizing?
Great question! The women’s shirts run a little small and the men’s shirts run a little big this year. All models above are wearing either a women’s medium or men’s large.

I’m running a Motor City Challenge race. What do I get?
You’ll get shirts specifically designed for you with your distance on them! You’ll also get a cool CCC goodie bag- any guesses what CCC stands for?!

Can I see or update the size shirt I picked during registration?
You bet! Click on this link to update your sizing on our registration platform. Just follow the instructions to edit your registration details. You can update your shirt size as many times as you want until August 26th!

Do you offer a shirt exchange at the Expo?
Yes! We added a shirt exchange area to our Health & Fitness Expo last year. When you pick up your bib and race bag, volunteers will give you the shirt requested on your registration. If you need to change it, just head to the shirt exchange area near the exit of the Expo. We’ll get you hooked up with whatever sizes we have on hand.

I’m not sure if I like these…
Here’s some outtakes of our models jumping a running…. they should clearly leave the running to you.

But really, there are TONS of fun extras that we hope you like! This year’s race bag will include a Race Wrap (or buff, as they’re often referred to) and gloves. Plus, this year’s medals are going to be THE BEST YET. And we’re not just saying that. They’re seriously off the hook.