Registration for 2025 opens January 1, 2025. Register here. Ensure lowest prices by registering early!

Please check back for updates as the marathon weekend approaches.

Race overview

The next Detroit Free Press Marathon weekend will talk place October 17-20, 2025. The Marathon, International Half- Marathon, Motor City Half- Marathon and Marathon Relay take place on Sunday October 19. The 5k, 1-Mile, Kids Marathon and Meijer Little Detroit Dash will take place on Saturday October 19.

2025 Dates:

Friday, Oct. 17, 2025

Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025

Sunday,  Oct.19, 2025

2026 Dates:

Friday, Oct. 16, 2026

Saturday Oct. 17, 2026

Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026

Yes! Get all the insider info you need for race weekend with our comprehensive 2024 Participate Guide! From logistics to maps to after party and mobile app info this guide has you covered. Click here to view and download our Marathon Guide.

Entry fees are non-refundable. That means that once we receive and accept your entry, you will not receive a refund if you cannot participate.

You may, however, transfer your entry to another year. Information about transfers can be found here.

Since the events are international, it is a federal offense to cross borders illegally. Therefore, do not give your number to another person. It is each participant’s responsibility to provide proper documentation for picking up their packet.

The Detroit Free Press Marathon, in accordance with management executives, city officials and local law enforcement, has the authority to cancel any of the events for emergency purposes, such as, but not limited to, inclement weather or threat of terrorism. If such emergency conditions force cancellation, refunds cannot be provided because funds will have been spent in preparation for the race.

If you cannot participate in the event you signed up for, more information about transfers and deferrals can be found here.

Yes, the Detroit Free Press Marathon is certified by USA Track and Field (USATF) officials each year to an exact standard that guarantees event distances are correct.

We are not a USATF sanctioned event. This means that it is not possible to set an American record on our course, nor is it possible to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

Yes, the Detroit Free Press Marathon is a Boston-qualifying race, and runners are eligible to apply if they run a qualifying time. The qualifying standard and the application process is covered at www.BAA.org.

Each year, we partner with charities for our Run for a Reason Program.

When you designate an official charity during registration, it does not mean that a portion of your registration fee goes to the designated charity; it instead means that you have the option to raise funds for your charity. In order to sign up with your chosen charity, check out the Official Charities section of our site.

Yes, finishers in all races receive a medal. They each have the same design, but varying sizes based on the distance of the race – smaller for 5K, larger for Marathon. Each medal also has a distinct ribbon based on the race distance.

The course records for our marathon:

Male
Greg Meyer, Boston
2:13:07 (1980)

Female
Elena Orlova, Russia
2:34:16 (2004)

Runners who break a course record will win an additional $500.

Our mid-October date generally provides participants with ideal running weather. A cool morning start and cool to mild mid-race temperatures with  limited precipitation.

We no longer offer virtual options for any of our races.

Registration

Registration is available online now through our registration partner, EnMotive. Sign up here.

Deadline to register for 2025 events coming soon.

You may run the Marathon Relay as a team member, and run another individual, international event (Marathon or International Half-Marathon) concurrently, as long as you register for and pay the entry fee for both events. You must run Leg #1 of the Marathon Relay to avoid difficult timing issues. For this reason, you may not run the Marathon Relay and the Motor City Half-Marathon together.

Your steps to success:

  • You will be given two separate bib numbers – one for the Marathon Relay and one for your individual event. You must wear both. Each relay team, overall, will receive one timing bib on a belt. This bib will start with leg 1 and will be passed between each leg runner.
  • You will run the 1st leg of the Relay, and will cross the timing mat at the start of Relay Leg 2. Once you have crossed the mat and Relay Leg 2 Runner has started, your Relay participation is over.
  • Just remove your relay timing bib on the belt and give it to the next leg runner. Remove the Relay bib from the front of your shirt and display your individual event bib.

No, you can only register for the Half Marathon or the Marathon (not both).

Registration opens on Jan. 1, 2025.  The opening price remains in effect until Jan. 6, 2025. After that, prices rise roughly every 2-3 months.  To view pricing details, click here.

If you deferred in 2024, you are already registered for 2025. An email will be sent to all those individuals with instructions on how to update your registration. If you have any questions about this process, drop us a line at support@freepmarathon.zendesk.com.

Transfers to new participants, change in distances or deferrals

Participants are able to change distances, or transfer to another participant for a $25 fee, up until September 9 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Participants in our U.S.-Only races may continue transfer to another participant or change distances for a $25 fee, up until Oct. 13 at 11:59 p.m. EST, with some exceptions. Instructions for how to change your registration to another distance, how to transfer to another person or defer your registration through our registration partner EnMotive can be found below.

Transferring to a new participant

  1. Log into your EnMotive account here. Click ‘Registrations’ and find your 2024 registration for the Detroit Free Press Marathon.
  2. In the right corner of your registration, click on the three dots.
  3. Select Actions Transfer registration.
  4. Please enter the email address of the person you wish to transfer your registration to. This will then send an email with transfer information to the new registrant.
  5. The new registrant will be able to use the custom link sent to them for 48 hours. They will be charged the transfer fee.
  6. If the person does not transfer their registration within 48 hours, you will need to follow steps 1-4 again to get a new custom link sent out.
  7. The new registrant does not have to participate in the same race as the original participant. When they sign up with the custom link, they will be able to select a new event and just pay the difference in price between the two!

Note: EnMotive will not refund the registration fee for the original registration. Any compensation for the transferred registration needs to be handled outside of the platform.

Changing to a different distance

  1. Log into your EnMotive account here. Click “Registrations” and find your current 2024 registration for the Detroit Free Press Marathon.
  2. In the right corner of your registration, click on the three dots.
  3. Select “View Registration.”
  4. Next to category click “edit.”
  5. Choose the event distance you would like to change to.
  6. You will need to answer all the necessary questions and pay the difference between the two events if you are upgrading as well as the category change fee.

Deferring your registration

Participants are able to defer their registration to the 2025 event for a $50 fee, up until October 13, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Instructions for how to defer your registration through EnMotive can be found below. If you miss this deadline and you still need to defer, you must come to the Health & Fitness Expo and defer at the Problems & Solutions booth.

Self-Service Deferral Instructions:

  1. Log into your EnMotive Account here. Click “Registrations” and find your current 2024 registration for our event.
  2. In the right corner of your registration, click on the three dots.
  3. Select “Defer to another event.”
  4. From the event dropdown menu, select “2025 Detroit Free Press Marathon,” then follow the prompts to complete the deferral.
  5. Once your self-deferral is complete*, you will receive an email with your 2025 event information. You will not need to re-register when 2025 registration opens.

*For the Challenge Series, you will only have to self-defer one event in the series and pay the deferral fee at that time. Then, you will need to reach out to request deferral(s) of other event(s) in the Challenge Series at no cost. Details below.

Supreme:

Wonder:

Temptation:

All registrations are non-refundable, but if you registered for the 2025 event and unfortunately are unable to participate on race day, you have a few options:

1. Transfer your registration to another individual.

2. Defer your registration to the 2026 event.

Instructions on transferring or deferring your registration can be found here.

You can confirm your race registration by looking up your name here.

To confirm your information, race distance and more, follow the steps below:

  1. Login to your EnMotive account, here
  2. Click Registrations
  3. Find the “2025 Detroit Free Press Marathon” event
  4. Click “View Registration”

Participants are able to modify their shirt size and pace time by following the below instructions:

  1. Login to your EnMotive account, here
  2. Click ‘‘My Account’’ in the upper right corner
  3. Scroll to the race registration that you need to update the size for (2025 Detroit Free Press Marathon)
  4. Click ‘‘View Registration’’
  5. To update race shirt size, click “edit” next to products. Size changes are not allowed for any purchased products. Please reach out to Running Lab if you would like to request a size change.
  6. To update estimated pace, click “edit” next to additional details
  7. Update and save!

Any other registration details must be updated by race staff at this time. Please contact us if this is necessary.

Note: Any edits to your distance/chosen race is considered a category change that will incur a change fee. Please visit our transfer and changes page for all information regarding switching your distance/race.

Below are step-by-step instructions to join an established relay team.

  1. You will begin registration here.
  2. Make sure there are no other registrations in your cart in the top right corner. If there are pending registrations in your cart, please complete them or remove them before moving forward with the next steps.
  3. Select Marathon Relay.
  4. Select the person participating from your EnMotive account profile and click next.
  5. Follow the flow of registration
  6. When you get to the Add Details page under Team section you will find and select your team name from the drop-down list.
  7. When prompted, please select one of the legs available.
  8. Once the leg is selected the correct questions for that leg will populate. You must answer those, click continue and it will take you to a billing/checkout page and show that you owe $0.00. You must answer all questions to bring the total down to $0.00.
  9. Finally, make sure you select “complete” from the billing page.

It is highly recommended that you purchase the EnMotive Protection Plan (Registration Insurance) as your entry fee is non-refundable.

The EnMotive Protection Plan may be purchased for a nominal fee when registering for any of our events. All policy information can be found here. The EnMotive Protection Plan typically covers approved medically related situations (see policy for details) but will not cover your registration fee if the event is canceled either by organizers or the government for incidents like COVID-19, inclement weather, etc.

The EnMotive Protection Plan cannot be purchased after registration and must be purchased while completing registration for any of our events.

Participant eligibility

Yes, age requirements vary by race and are below:

  • Marathon – must be at least 16 years of age.
  • Marathon Relay, International Half-Marathon, or Motor City Half-Marathon –  must be 14 years or older.
  • 5K – No age requirement.**
  • 1-Mile Race – No age requirement.**
  • Kids Marathon – Ages 6-13.**
  • Meijer Little Detroit Dash – Ages 8 or under.*

*One parent/guardian is allowed to participate with a child in the (untimed) Meijer Little Detroit Dash without a bib or registration.

**Only those registered for the (timed) 1-Mile, Kids Marathon and the 5K will be allowed on the course.

If you are not a citizen of the U.S., it is strongly recommended that you verify the specific document requirements of both your country of residence and the countries you will be visiting.

It is strongly recommended that you verify the specific document requirements of both your country of residence and the countries you will be visiting. Resources and helpful links can be found HERE.

An enhanced driver’s license from states that currently offer them (Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, Washington) is allowed to be used as your WHTI compliant document.

Michigan residents who plan on applying for an enhanced driver’s license through the Michigan Secretary of State are urged to submit their paperwork as early as possible ahead of the race to ensure adequate processing time. For more information, please go here.

For residents of Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington, please check with your Secretary of State or DMV departments for instructions on applying for an enhanced driver’s license.

Most likely, yes. But you should be aware of your admissibility to Canada. In general, people are considered to be criminally inadmissible to Canada if they were convicted of an offense in Canada or were convicted of an offense outside of Canada that is considered a crime in Canada, such as an OWI/DUI. In order to enter Canada, these people must obtain Approval of Rehabilitation or a Temporary Resident Permit at a Canadian Consulate or Embassy. You can find more information here.

Race preparation

 START LINE: 

  • The Sunday races start at Fort and 2nd. From Gear Check, runners should take Michigan Avenue west to Lafayette. Corrals may be accessed from Lafayette on the north or Congress on the south.
  • International Marathon, Half Marathon, and Relay Corrals open at 6:15am and close at 6:55am.
  • Adaptive Athlete division start is at 6:58am. The main field begins at 7am
  • No late starts will be allowed. Please arrive with plenty of time to get your gear checked, use the bathroom, and arrive to your corral in a timely manner.
  • Corrals A-F will hold a mixture of International marathoners, international half marathoners, and relay Leg 1 participants. Corrals G and H will be international half marathoners only. No marathoners or relay participants will be allowed to start in corrals G and H. Please enter your corral under the sign with your assigned corral’s letter.
  • If you want to run with a friend in a different corral, you may drop BACK together, but runners may not advance forward. For example, a runner assigned to Corral B may choose to start in Corral C. A runner assigned to Corral C may not begin in Corral B. No marathoners may start in Corrals G and H.
  • Motor City Half Marathon begins at 10:30am. There are no corrals for the Motor City Half Marathon.
  • Only registered participants are allowed in the start corrals.
  • Gear Check is located on Monroe, just north of Campus Martius, and is open from 5:30am-2:30pm. This is near the finish line. There is no gear check at the start line so give yourself plenty of time to check gear and make it to the start line. Please use the clear bag provided to you at Expo.
  • Securely attach the Gear Check tab on your bib to your bag prior to arrival. Bibs must be presented to collect bags after the race.
  • Oversized items, such as luggage, WILL NOT be allowed. The Detroit Free Press Marathon is not responsible for lost items.

FINISH LINE:

  • The finish line is located on Woodward at Congress, south of Campus Martius.
  • Spectator viewing is located on both sides of the finish chute, south of Congress. No spectators are allowed on the course at any time, or in the secure zones immediately adjacent to the finish line.
  • Please select a location at which to meet friends and family after the event, such as Runner Reunite, located on the northwest side of Campus Martius. The area immediately surrounding the finish line and runner refresh will be highly congested – avoid planning a meetup in this area!
  • There is no stopping or standing in the Finish Chute. Please keep moving towards the exit at the end of Runner Refresh. This includes waiting for fellow runners to cross the line! There is no re-entry to this area once you have departed.
  • Runners will receive a mylar blanket, water, Gatorade Endurance, and a Finisher Medal in Runner Refresh. They will also be offered chocolate milk, a banana and a bag of various snacks including goldfish crackers, graham crackers, an apple, and a Clif Builder bar – all courtesy of our amazing sponsors including Absopure Water, Gatorade Endurance, United Dairy, Meijer, Envy and Clif! Thank you all!
  • Runner Reunite is located on Woodward on the northwest side of Campus Martius and serves as an easy location for runners to meet up with friends and family post-race.
  • No participants will be allowed to wait inside the finish chute or Runner Refresh zone for fellow runners.
  • Signs will be posted displaying letters of the alphabet. Choose which letter under which to reunite ahead of time.
  • Most importantly, have a pre-established plan, and stick to it! There will be thousands of people in the area race morning. Plan ahead.

All international (Marathon, International Half-Marathon, and Marathon Relay Leg 1) race packets MUST be picked up in person at the Health & Fitness Expo on either Friday or Saturday.

Packets for the Motor City Half-Marathon, the 5K, 1-Mile, Kids Marathon or the Meijer Little Detroit Dash may be picked up in person at the expo, or may be picked up by someone else if they have a copy of your confirmation email, printed out.

Finally, participants in the 5K, 1-Mile, Kids Marathon or the Meijer Little Detroit Dash may pick up their packets on Saturday morning near the Start/Finish Line.

NOTE: Those running The Wonder or The Supreme MUST pick up their packets on Friday at the Health & Fitness Expo. Saturday pickup will not be allowed. Those running only The Temptation can pick up their packets on Friday at the expo or Saturday before the races.

Participants competing in an event conducted solely in the United States (Motor City Half-Marathon, Marathon Relay Legs 2, 3, 4 or 5, 5K, 1-Mile, Kids Marathon or Meijer Little Detroit Dash) may have someone else pick up their race packet. The person picking up the packet must bring with them a printed copy of the participant’s confirmation email to show to our volunteers at the Health & Fitness Expo.

All participants competing in an event that crosses the U.S./Canadian border (Marathon, International Half-Marathon, or Marathon Relay Leg 1), regardless of citizenship, must show up in person in order to pick up their packet.  And they must bring their international credentials.

There will be no exceptions, and no picking up of packets on race day.

NOTE: Those running The Wonder or The Supreme MUST pick up their packets on Friday at the Health & Fitness Expo. Saturday pickup will not be allowed. Those running only The Temptation can pick up their packets on Friday at the Expo or Saturday before the races.

Most of the Downtown Detroit hotels are located within walking distance of our start and finish lines.

You can reserve a hotel room through our official housing provider TriMar USA. We encourage all participants to book reservations through the link below and ONLY use these hotels that support our event.

Reserve A Room Now

We offer a long-sleeve technical shirt to all participants. Please note that our tech shirts do tend to run small. When you place your order for a shirt, we will make every effort to provide you the size requested. However, shirts are ordered months in advance of the event, based on estimates. Therefore, we may not have enough of every size available at the Health & Fitness Expo. We advise you to arrive early in order to guarantee your size.

The Start Line for the Marathon, both Half Marathons and the first leg of the Relay will be on Fort Street and Second Avenue. The closest address is 536 W. Fort Street which is a parking lot.

Race weekend details

The current start times for all events are as follows. These times are subject to change, so please check back here closer to race weekend. NO LATE STARTS ALLOWED:

Saturday, Oct. 18

1-Mile: 8:25 a.m.

5K: 8:50 a.m.

Kids Marathon: 9:30 a.m.

Meijer Little Detroit Dash: 10 a.m. 

Sunday, Oct. 19

Marathon – Adaptive Athletes Division: 6:58 a.m.

Marathon, Marathon Relay and International Half-Marathon: 7 a.m.

Motor City Half-Marathon: 10:30 a.m. 

Note: All start times are subject to change. NO LATE STARTS ALLOWED.

The Motor City Half Marathon will start at 10:30am. 

The current start times for all events are as follows:  

Sunday, Oct. 19

Marathon – Adaptive Athletes Division: 6:58 a.m.

Marathon, Marathon Relay and International Half-Marathon: 7 a.m.

Motor City Half-Marathon: 10:30 a.m. 

Note: All start times are subject to change.

Yes. One parent or guardian may run with their child during the Meijer Little Detroit Dash.

The entrance to the Ambassador Bridge is approximately 2 miles after the start. Our narrow running passage may become congested. We use a wave start, and we have carefully calculated the flow of runners to help minimize the impact. We ask that you be honest about your projected time, and that you start in your assigned wave. You must stay within the boundaries of the course as marked for your own safety, as well as for those around you.

We also ask you refrain from taking pictures or selfies while on the bridge. Sudden stops from participants impacts other runners and can slow everyone down. Be mindful of where and how often you stop along the course. If you need to slow down, please move to the side of the course.

The Ambassador Bridge will have restricted traffic on race day Sunday.

The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel will close on Sunday’s race day. The closure will last from approximately 6:15-10 a.m.

Participants will get a clear plastic bag when they pick up their race packet at the Health & Fitness Expo. This is the only bag that can be used for gear check. No personal bags can be used.
There will only be one gear check location: on Monroe Street (northeast side of Campus Martius). This is where you will drop off and pick up your checked gear. This location is a few blocks away from where the start line corrals are located. Plan accordingly.
Gear check will be available from 5:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Note: Runners should attach the tab on their bib to their bag prior to arrival at gear check. You must show your runner bib to collect your gear check items to ensure the correct items are given to the correct people. Don’t put anything of value in the bag, including keys, phone, wallet or money. The bags get moved around and smaller items may fall out.

We do have two timing clocks out on the marathon course – at mile 13.1 and mile 20 of the International Marathon. These clocks are set to the event’s gun time – or the start of Corral A. There are no additional clocks on course.

Each participant’s individual time begins when they cross the start line timing mats. Therefore, clocks along the course will only represent accurate times for the first runners to start the race. It takes more than 30 minutes to get all runners on course, so the clocks would reflect incorrect times for the vast majority of runners.

We recommend participants keep track of their own times via simple running watch or any number of GPS-enabled devices available.

YES! We have strategically placed fluid stations throughout our course for your hydration and enjoyment. Absopure water and Gatorade Endurance Lemon Lime will also be available at every aid station. There will be two GU nutrition stations along the marathon course and one nutrition station on the half marathon course It’s our goal to set up each station consistently so that you know what to expect.

We ask that you crush your cups after you have finished, and if possible, place them in the waste receptacles as you exit the fluid station. Be sure to thank the hundreds of volunteers at our 19 fluid stations along the course who are there to serve you and to cheer you on!

Yes – Hydration packs, hand held water bottles and/or hydration belts are allowed on the course.

Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel no longer prohibits liquids from being carried by participants on the course. However, runners are discouraged from carrying large items on these portions of the course as they may be asked to either inspect or drop them. At the end of the day, it is up to the runner’s discretion.

Border agents may still stop, or confiscate, large hydration packs that look like backpacks as a security precaution. If you do decide to wear a hydration pack, please be mindful that the risk of being stopped along the border during the race, although low, will still be present.

Yes!

On Pace Race will be providing pacers for the Marathon, International Half-Marathon and Motor City Half-Marathon. On Pace is a vibrant community of athletes who can be found pacing races throughout the United States. This is On Pace’s first time working with the Detroit Free Press Marathon. It has 76 members on its team, each helping other runners get to the finish line in their goal time.

You can connect with the pacers in the starting corrals. They will be in order of pace (faster pacers closer to the start) at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the race. Feel free to introduce yourself — and run with a pacer! On Pace’s strategy will be to run mainly even splits. They will be pacing the following times:

Marathon: 3:00, 3:05, 3:10, 3:15, 3:20, 3:25, 3:30, 3:35, 3:40, 3:50, 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, 4:45, 5:00, 5:15, 5:30, 5:45, 6:00, sweeper

International Half-Marathon: 1:30, 1:35, 1:40, 1:45, 1:50, 1:55, 2:00, 2:10, 2:15, 2:20, 2:30, 2:45, 3:00, 3:15, 3:30, sweeper

Motor City Half-Marathon: 1:30, 1:35, 1:40, 1:45, 1:50, 1:55, 2:00, 2:10, 2:15, 2:20, 2:30, 2:45, 3:00, 3:15, 3:30

We will have nutrition along the course. Check back closer to in-season training for an announcement on this year’s course nutrition brand.

We strongly discourage the wearing of music devices. Participants must be alert to their surroundings and able to hear medical emergency vehicles, motorcycles, buses and official marathon vehicles. For your safety and the safety of those around you, we strongly urge you to run headphone-free.

For the safety of all of our participants, strollers, bicycles, pets or animals of any kind, rollerblades and skateboards are not permitted in any of our events, including the 5K and Meijer Little Detroit Dash.

Unofficial support bikers are not allowed on the course.

We conduct our events under USA Track & Field (USATF) guidelines. We will use a qualified referee to help us settle any results concerns. We may exclude from competition anyone who has previously discredited themselves and the sport of running, or we may disqualify anyone who knowingly exhibits unsportsmanlike conduct.

All participants that would like to be eligible for cash prizes and age awards must adhere to our Anti-Doping Policy.

Most GPS systems will continue over the Ambassador Bridge, but drop out upon entering the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and resume on the other side.

The following explanation is from the USA Track & Field Road Running Technical Council, which certified the course:

“GPS devices work by receiving signals from satellites. The quality of different GPS units can vary, but all of them can be affected by conditions such as buildings in urban environments or heavy overhead tree cover that interfere with reception of the satellite signals and can cause them to be inaccurate.

Race courses Certified by USATF are measured by a proven method that incorporates the calibration of measuring devices against a steel tape and are verified by multiple measurements.

Race courses are measured along a well-defined path called the “SPR”—the Shortest Possible Route that a runner can possibly run. Most runners don’t actually run the SPR, so the distance recorded by their GPS device will usually be longer than the certified length of the course, even though the course was properly measured along the SPR according to USATF rules.”

No, our course and finish line are closed to all non-participants. We share in the joy of your accomplishment as you near the finish line. But for your safety and the safety of fellow participants, we ask that you refrain from running in with others who are not part of the race.

We recommend you find your family and friends at Runner Reunite, located on the northwest side of Campus Martius and Woodward. There will be signs displaying letters of the alphabet; make plans to meet at the sign displaying the letter of your runner’s last name!

Note: No stopping or standing will be allowed in the finish chute. Once you finish the race, you must continue moving through the finish chute.

Below are the time limits:

  • Marathon or Marathon Relay: 6.5 hours
  • International Half-Marathon: 4 hours
  • Motor City Half-Marathon: 3.5 hours
  • 5K: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • 1-Mile: 20 minutes

The Detroit People Mover will be open and operating on marathon weekend. People Mover Stations can be found here.

Transit Windsor will be operating the Tunnel Bus beginning at 5:15 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19. Buses will depart from Windsor International Transit Terminal, 300 Chatham Street West, Windsor, Ont. Passengers will be dropped off near the Detroit side of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. The same location will be used to return to Windsor. Three buses will be in use until 6:00 a.m. when the Tunnel will close to traffic. It is $10 (US or Canadian funds) each way. You must have exact change if paying in cash.

Saturday races: At the Start/Finish Line
Sunday races: All locations are noted by a red cross on all of the course maps. Medical Central is located near Campus Martius. There will also be a medical tent for minor injuries as you exit the finish line.

Registration for 2025 opens January 1, 2025. Register here. Ensure lowest prices by registering early!

Please check back for updates as the marathon weekend approaches.

Race overview

The next Detroit Free Press Marathon weekend will talk place October 17-20, 2025. The Marathon, International Half- Marathon, Motor City Half- Marathon and Marathon Relay take place on Sunday October 19. The 5k, 1-Mile, Kids Marathon and Meijer Little Detroit Dash will take place on Saturday October 19.

2025 Dates:

Friday, Oct. 17, 2025

Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025

Sunday,  Oct.19, 2025

2026 Dates:

Friday, Oct. 16, 2026

Saturday Oct. 17, 2026

Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026

Yes! Get all the insider info you need for race weekend with our comprehensive 2024 Participate Guide! From logistics to maps to after party and mobile app info this guide has you covered. Click here to view and download our Marathon Guide.

Entry fees are non-refundable. That means that once we receive and accept your entry, you will not receive a refund if you cannot participate.

You may, however, transfer your entry to another year. Information about transfers can be found here.

Since the events are international, it is a federal offense to cross borders illegally. Therefore, do not give your number to another person. It is each participant’s responsibility to provide proper documentation for picking up their packet.

The Detroit Free Press Marathon, in accordance with management executives, city officials and local law enforcement, has the authority to cancel any of the events for emergency purposes, such as, but not limited to, inclement weather or threat of terrorism. If such emergency conditions force cancellation, refunds cannot be provided because funds will have been spent in preparation for the race.

If you cannot participate in the event you signed up for, more information about transfers and deferrals can be found here.

Yes, the Detroit Free Press Marathon is certified by USA Track and Field (USATF) officials each year to an exact standard that guarantees event distances are correct.

We are not a USATF sanctioned event. This means that it is not possible to set an American record on our course, nor is it possible to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

Yes, the Detroit Free Press Marathon is a Boston-qualifying race, and runners are eligible to apply if they run a qualifying time. The qualifying standard and the application process is covered at www.BAA.org.

Each year, we partner with charities for our Run for a Reason Program.

When you designate an official charity during registration, it does not mean that a portion of your registration fee goes to the designated charity; it instead means that you have the option to raise funds for your charity. In order to sign up with your chosen charity, check out the Official Charities section of our site.

Yes, finishers in all races receive a medal. They each have the same design, but varying sizes based on the distance of the race – smaller for 5K, larger for Marathon. Each medal also has a distinct ribbon based on the race distance.

The course records for our marathon:

Male
Greg Meyer, Boston
2:13:07 (1980)

Female
Elena Orlova, Russia
2:34:16 (2004)

Runners who break a course record will win an additional $500.

Our mid-October date generally provides participants with ideal running weather. A cool morning start and cool to mild mid-race temperatures with  limited precipitation.

We no longer offer virtual options for any of our races.

Registration

Registration is available online now through our registration partner, EnMotive. Sign up here.

Deadline to register for 2025 events coming soon.

You may run the Marathon Relay as a team member, and run another individual, international event (Marathon or International Half-Marathon) concurrently, as long as you register for and pay the entry fee for both events. You must run Leg #1 of the Marathon Relay to avoid difficult timing issues. For this reason, you may not run the Marathon Relay and the Motor City Half-Marathon together.

Your steps to success:

  • You will be given two separate bib numbers – one for the Marathon Relay and one for your individual event. You must wear both. Each relay team, overall, will receive one timing bib on a belt. This bib will start with leg 1 and will be passed between each leg runner.
  • You will run the 1st leg of the Relay, and will cross the timing mat at the start of Relay Leg 2. Once you have crossed the mat and Relay Leg 2 Runner has started, your Relay participation is over.
  • Just remove your relay timing bib on the belt and give it to the next leg runner. Remove the Relay bib from the front of your shirt and display your individual event bib.

No, you can only register for the Half Marathon or the Marathon (not both).

Registration opens on Jan. 1, 2025.  The opening price remains in effect until Jan. 6, 2025. After that, prices rise roughly every 2-3 months.  To view pricing details, click here.

If you deferred in 2024, you are already registered for 2025. An email will be sent to all those individuals with instructions on how to update your registration. If you have any questions about this process, drop us a line at support@freepmarathon.zendesk.com.

Transfers to new participants, change in distances or deferrals

Participants are able to change distances, or transfer to another participant for a $25 fee, up until September 9 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Participants in our U.S.-Only races may continue transfer to another participant or change distances for a $25 fee, up until Oct. 13 at 11:59 p.m. EST, with some exceptions. Instructions for how to change your registration to another distance, how to transfer to another person or defer your registration through our registration partner EnMotive can be found below.

Transferring to a new participant

  1. Log into your EnMotive account here. Click ‘Registrations’ and find your 2024 registration for the Detroit Free Press Marathon.
  2. In the right corner of your registration, click on the three dots.
  3. Select Actions Transfer registration.
  4. Please enter the email address of the person you wish to transfer your registration to. This will then send an email with transfer information to the new registrant.
  5. The new registrant will be able to use the custom link sent to them for 48 hours. They will be charged the transfer fee.
  6. If the person does not transfer their registration within 48 hours, you will need to follow steps 1-4 again to get a new custom link sent out.
  7. The new registrant does not have to participate in the same race as the original participant. When they sign up with the custom link, they will be able to select a new event and just pay the difference in price between the two!

Note: EnMotive will not refund the registration fee for the original registration. Any compensation for the transferred registration needs to be handled outside of the platform.

Changing to a different distance

  1. Log into your EnMotive account here. Click “Registrations” and find your current 2024 registration for the Detroit Free Press Marathon.
  2. In the right corner of your registration, click on the three dots.
  3. Select “View Registration.”
  4. Next to category click “edit.”
  5. Choose the event distance you would like to change to.
  6. You will need to answer all the necessary questions and pay the difference between the two events if you are upgrading as well as the category change fee.

Deferring your registration

Participants are able to defer their registration to the 2025 event for a $50 fee, up until October 13, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Instructions for how to defer your registration through EnMotive can be found below. If you miss this deadline and you still need to defer, you must come to the Health & Fitness Expo and defer at the Problems & Solutions booth.

Self-Service Deferral Instructions:

  1. Log into your EnMotive Account here. Click “Registrations” and find your current 2024 registration for our event.
  2. In the right corner of your registration, click on the three dots.
  3. Select “Defer to another event.”
  4. From the event dropdown menu, select “2025 Detroit Free Press Marathon,” then follow the prompts to complete the deferral.
  5. Once your self-deferral is complete*, you will receive an email with your 2025 event information. You will not need to re-register when 2025 registration opens.

*For the Challenge Series, you will only have to self-defer one event in the series and pay the deferral fee at that time. Then, you will need to reach out to request deferral(s) of other event(s) in the Challenge Series at no cost. Details below.

Supreme:

Wonder:

Temptation:

All registrations are non-refundable, but if you registered for the 2025 event and unfortunately are unable to participate on race day, you have a few options:

1. Transfer your registration to another individual.

2. Defer your registration to the 2026 event.

Instructions on transferring or deferring your registration can be found here.

You can confirm your race registration by looking up your name here.

To confirm your information, race distance and more, follow the steps below:

  1. Login to your EnMotive account, here
  2. Click Registrations
  3. Find the “2025 Detroit Free Press Marathon” event
  4. Click “View Registration”

Participants are able to modify their shirt size and pace time by following the below instructions:

  1. Login to your EnMotive account, here
  2. Click ‘‘My Account’’ in the upper right corner
  3. Scroll to the race registration that you need to update the size for (2025 Detroit Free Press Marathon)
  4. Click ‘‘View Registration’’
  5. To update race shirt size, click “edit” next to products. Size changes are not allowed for any purchased products. Please reach out to Running Lab if you would like to request a size change.
  6. To update estimated pace, click “edit” next to additional details
  7. Update and save!

Any other registration details must be updated by race staff at this time. Please contact us if this is necessary.

Note: Any edits to your distance/chosen race is considered a category change that will incur a change fee. Please visit our transfer and changes page for all information regarding switching your distance/race.

Below are step-by-step instructions to join an established relay team.

  1. You will begin registration here.
  2. Make sure there are no other registrations in your cart in the top right corner. If there are pending registrations in your cart, please complete them or remove them before moving forward with the next steps.
  3. Select Marathon Relay.
  4. Select the person participating from your EnMotive account profile and click next.
  5. Follow the flow of registration
  6. When you get to the Add Details page under Team section you will find and select your team name from the drop-down list.
  7. When prompted, please select one of the legs available.
  8. Once the leg is selected the correct questions for that leg will populate. You must answer those, click continue and it will take you to a billing/checkout page and show that you owe $0.00. You must answer all questions to bring the total down to $0.00.
  9. Finally, make sure you select “complete” from the billing page.

It is highly recommended that you purchase the EnMotive Protection Plan (Registration Insurance) as your entry fee is non-refundable.

The EnMotive Protection Plan may be purchased for a nominal fee when registering for any of our events. All policy information can be found here. The EnMotive Protection Plan typically covers approved medically related situations (see policy for details) but will not cover your registration fee if the event is canceled either by organizers or the government for incidents like COVID-19, inclement weather, etc.

The EnMotive Protection Plan cannot be purchased after registration and must be purchased while completing registration for any of our events.

Participant eligibility

Yes, age requirements vary by race and are below:

  • Marathon – must be at least 16 years of age.
  • Marathon Relay, International Half-Marathon, or Motor City Half-Marathon –  must be 14 years or older.
  • 5K – No age requirement.**
  • 1-Mile Race – No age requirement.**
  • Kids Marathon – Ages 6-13.**
  • Meijer Little Detroit Dash – Ages 8 or under.*

*One parent/guardian is allowed to participate with a child in the (untimed) Meijer Little Detroit Dash without a bib or registration.

**Only those registered for the (timed) 1-Mile, Kids Marathon and the 5K will be allowed on the course.

If you are not a citizen of the U.S., it is strongly recommended that you verify the specific document requirements of both your country of residence and the countries you will be visiting.

It is strongly recommended that you verify the specific document requirements of both your country of residence and the countries you will be visiting. Resources and helpful links can be found HERE.

An enhanced driver’s license from states that currently offer them (Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, Washington) is allowed to be used as your WHTI compliant document.

Michigan residents who plan on applying for an enhanced driver’s license through the Michigan Secretary of State are urged to submit their paperwork as early as possible ahead of the race to ensure adequate processing time. For more information, please go here.

For residents of Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington, please check with your Secretary of State or DMV departments for instructions on applying for an enhanced driver’s license.

Most likely, yes. But you should be aware of your admissibility to Canada. In general, people are considered to be criminally inadmissible to Canada if they were convicted of an offense in Canada or were convicted of an offense outside of Canada that is considered a crime in Canada, such as an OWI/DUI. In order to enter Canada, these people must obtain Approval of Rehabilitation or a Temporary Resident Permit at a Canadian Consulate or Embassy. You can find more information here.

Race preparation

 START LINE: 

  • The Sunday races start at Fort and 2nd. From Gear Check, runners should take Michigan Avenue west to Lafayette. Corrals may be accessed from Lafayette on the north or Congress on the south.
  • International Marathon, Half Marathon, and Relay Corrals open at 6:15am and close at 6:55am.
  • Adaptive Athlete division start is at 6:58am. The main field begins at 7am
  • No late starts will be allowed. Please arrive with plenty of time to get your gear checked, use the bathroom, and arrive to your corral in a timely manner.
  • Corrals A-F will hold a mixture of International marathoners, international half marathoners, and relay Leg 1 participants. Corrals G and H will be international half marathoners only. No marathoners or relay participants will be allowed to start in corrals G and H. Please enter your corral under the sign with your assigned corral’s letter.
  • If you want to run with a friend in a different corral, you may drop BACK together, but runners may not advance forward. For example, a runner assigned to Corral B may choose to start in Corral C. A runner assigned to Corral C may not begin in Corral B. No marathoners may start in Corrals G and H.
  • Motor City Half Marathon begins at 10:30am. There are no corrals for the Motor City Half Marathon.
  • Only registered participants are allowed in the start corrals.
  • Gear Check is located on Monroe, just north of Campus Martius, and is open from 5:30am-2:30pm. This is near the finish line. There is no gear check at the start line so give yourself plenty of time to check gear and make it to the start line. Please use the clear bag provided to you at Expo.
  • Securely attach the Gear Check tab on your bib to your bag prior to arrival. Bibs must be presented to collect bags after the race.
  • Oversized items, such as luggage, WILL NOT be allowed. The Detroit Free Press Marathon is not responsible for lost items.

FINISH LINE:

  • The finish line is located on Woodward at Congress, south of Campus Martius.
  • Spectator viewing is located on both sides of the finish chute, south of Congress. No spectators are allowed on the course at any time, or in the secure zones immediately adjacent to the finish line.
  • Please select a location at which to meet friends and family after the event, such as Runner Reunite, located on the northwest side of Campus Martius. The area immediately surrounding the finish line and runner refresh will be highly congested – avoid planning a meetup in this area!
  • There is no stopping or standing in the Finish Chute. Please keep moving towards the exit at the end of Runner Refresh. This includes waiting for fellow runners to cross the line! There is no re-entry to this area once you have departed.
  • Runners will receive a mylar blanket, water, Gatorade Endurance, and a Finisher Medal in Runner Refresh. They will also be offered chocolate milk, a banana and a bag of various snacks including goldfish crackers, graham crackers, an apple, and a Clif Builder bar – all courtesy of our amazing sponsors including Absopure Water, Gatorade Endurance, United Dairy, Meijer, Envy and Clif! Thank you all!
  • Runner Reunite is located on Woodward on the northwest side of Campus Martius and serves as an easy location for runners to meet up with friends and family post-race.
  • No participants will be allowed to wait inside the finish chute or Runner Refresh zone for fellow runners.
  • Signs will be posted displaying letters of the alphabet. Choose which letter under which to reunite ahead of time.
  • Most importantly, have a pre-established plan, and stick to it! There will be thousands of people in the area race morning. Plan ahead.

All international (Marathon, International Half-Marathon, and Marathon Relay Leg 1) race packets MUST be picked up in person at the Health & Fitness Expo on either Friday or Saturday.

Packets for the Motor City Half-Marathon, the 5K, 1-Mile, Kids Marathon or the Meijer Little Detroit Dash may be picked up in person at the expo, or may be picked up by someone else if they have a copy of your confirmation email, printed out.

Finally, participants in the 5K, 1-Mile, Kids Marathon or the Meijer Little Detroit Dash may pick up their packets on Saturday morning near the Start/Finish Line.

NOTE: Those running The Wonder or The Supreme MUST pick up their packets on Friday at the Health & Fitness Expo. Saturday pickup will not be allowed. Those running only The Temptation can pick up their packets on Friday at the expo or Saturday before the races.

Participants competing in an event conducted solely in the United States (Motor City Half-Marathon, Marathon Relay Legs 2, 3, 4 or 5, 5K, 1-Mile, Kids Marathon or Meijer Little Detroit Dash) may have someone else pick up their race packet. The person picking up the packet must bring with them a printed copy of the participant’s confirmation email to show to our volunteers at the Health & Fitness Expo.

All participants competing in an event that crosses the U.S./Canadian border (Marathon, International Half-Marathon, or Marathon Relay Leg 1), regardless of citizenship, must show up in person in order to pick up their packet.  And they must bring their international credentials.

There will be no exceptions, and no picking up of packets on race day.

NOTE: Those running The Wonder or The Supreme MUST pick up their packets on Friday at the Health & Fitness Expo. Saturday pickup will not be allowed. Those running only The Temptation can pick up their packets on Friday at the Expo or Saturday before the races.

Most of the Downtown Detroit hotels are located within walking distance of our start and finish lines.

You can reserve a hotel room through our official housing provider TriMar USA. We encourage all participants to book reservations through the link below and ONLY use these hotels that support our event.

Reserve A Room Now

We offer a long-sleeve technical shirt to all participants. Please note that our tech shirts do tend to run small. When you place your order for a shirt, we will make every effort to provide you the size requested. However, shirts are ordered months in advance of the event, based on estimates. Therefore, we may not have enough of every size available at the Health & Fitness Expo. We advise you to arrive early in order to guarantee your size.

The Start Line for the Marathon, both Half Marathons and the first leg of the Relay will be on Fort Street and Second Avenue. The closest address is 536 W. Fort Street which is a parking lot.

Race weekend details

The current start times for all events are as follows. These times are subject to change, so please check back here closer to race weekend. NO LATE STARTS ALLOWED:

Saturday, Oct. 18

1-Mile: 8:25 a.m.

5K: 8:50 a.m.

Kids Marathon: 9:30 a.m.

Meijer Little Detroit Dash: 10 a.m. 

Sunday, Oct. 19

Marathon – Adaptive Athletes Division: 6:58 a.m.

Marathon, Marathon Relay and International Half-Marathon: 7 a.m.

Motor City Half-Marathon: 10:30 a.m. 

Note: All start times are subject to change. NO LATE STARTS ALLOWED.

The Motor City Half Marathon will start at 10:30am. 

The current start times for all events are as follows:  

Sunday, Oct. 19

Marathon – Adaptive Athletes Division: 6:58 a.m.

Marathon, Marathon Relay and International Half-Marathon: 7 a.m.

Motor City Half-Marathon: 10:30 a.m. 

Note: All start times are subject to change.

Yes. One parent or guardian may run with their child during the Meijer Little Detroit Dash.

The entrance to the Ambassador Bridge is approximately 2 miles after the start. Our narrow running passage may become congested. We use a wave start, and we have carefully calculated the flow of runners to help minimize the impact. We ask that you be honest about your projected time, and that you start in your assigned wave. You must stay within the boundaries of the course as marked for your own safety, as well as for those around you.

We also ask you refrain from taking pictures or selfies while on the bridge. Sudden stops from participants impacts other runners and can slow everyone down. Be mindful of where and how often you stop along the course. If you need to slow down, please move to the side of the course.

The Ambassador Bridge will have restricted traffic on race day Sunday.

The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel will close on Sunday’s race day. The closure will last from approximately 6:15-10 a.m.

Participants will get a clear plastic bag when they pick up their race packet at the Health & Fitness Expo. This is the only bag that can be used for gear check. No personal bags can be used.
There will only be one gear check location: on Monroe Street (northeast side of Campus Martius). This is where you will drop off and pick up your checked gear. This location is a few blocks away from where the start line corrals are located. Plan accordingly.
Gear check will be available from 5:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Note: Runners should attach the tab on their bib to their bag prior to arrival at gear check. You must show your runner bib to collect your gear check items to ensure the correct items are given to the correct people. Don’t put anything of value in the bag, including keys, phone, wallet or money. The bags get moved around and smaller items may fall out.

We do have two timing clocks out on the marathon course – at mile 13.1 and mile 20 of the International Marathon. These clocks are set to the event’s gun time – or the start of Corral A. There are no additional clocks on course.

Each participant’s individual time begins when they cross the start line timing mats. Therefore, clocks along the course will only represent accurate times for the first runners to start the race. It takes more than 30 minutes to get all runners on course, so the clocks would reflect incorrect times for the vast majority of runners.

We recommend participants keep track of their own times via simple running watch or any number of GPS-enabled devices available.

YES! We have strategically placed fluid stations throughout our course for your hydration and enjoyment. Absopure water and Gatorade Endurance Lemon Lime will also be available at every aid station. There will be two GU nutrition stations along the marathon course and one nutrition station on the half marathon course It’s our goal to set up each station consistently so that you know what to expect.

We ask that you crush your cups after you have finished, and if possible, place them in the waste receptacles as you exit the fluid station. Be sure to thank the hundreds of volunteers at our 19 fluid stations along the course who are there to serve you and to cheer you on!

Yes – Hydration packs, hand held water bottles and/or hydration belts are allowed on the course.

Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel no longer prohibits liquids from being carried by participants on the course. However, runners are discouraged from carrying large items on these portions of the course as they may be asked to either inspect or drop them. At the end of the day, it is up to the runner’s discretion.

Border agents may still stop, or confiscate, large hydration packs that look like backpacks as a security precaution. If you do decide to wear a hydration pack, please be mindful that the risk of being stopped along the border during the race, although low, will still be present.

Yes!

On Pace Race will be providing pacers for the Marathon, International Half-Marathon and Motor City Half-Marathon. On Pace is a vibrant community of athletes who can be found pacing races throughout the United States. This is On Pace’s first time working with the Detroit Free Press Marathon. It has 76 members on its team, each helping other runners get to the finish line in their goal time.

You can connect with the pacers in the starting corrals. They will be in order of pace (faster pacers closer to the start) at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the race. Feel free to introduce yourself — and run with a pacer! On Pace’s strategy will be to run mainly even splits. They will be pacing the following times:

Marathon: 3:00, 3:05, 3:10, 3:15, 3:20, 3:25, 3:30, 3:35, 3:40, 3:50, 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, 4:45, 5:00, 5:15, 5:30, 5:45, 6:00, sweeper

International Half-Marathon: 1:30, 1:35, 1:40, 1:45, 1:50, 1:55, 2:00, 2:10, 2:15, 2:20, 2:30, 2:45, 3:00, 3:15, 3:30, sweeper

Motor City Half-Marathon: 1:30, 1:35, 1:40, 1:45, 1:50, 1:55, 2:00, 2:10, 2:15, 2:20, 2:30, 2:45, 3:00, 3:15, 3:30

We will have nutrition along the course. Check back closer to in-season training for an announcement on this year’s course nutrition brand.

We strongly discourage the wearing of music devices. Participants must be alert to their surroundings and able to hear medical emergency vehicles, motorcycles, buses and official marathon vehicles. For your safety and the safety of those around you, we strongly urge you to run headphone-free.

For the safety of all of our participants, strollers, bicycles, pets or animals of any kind, rollerblades and skateboards are not permitted in any of our events, including the 5K and Meijer Little Detroit Dash.

Unofficial support bikers are not allowed on the course.

We conduct our events under USA Track & Field (USATF) guidelines. We will use a qualified referee to help us settle any results concerns. We may exclude from competition anyone who has previously discredited themselves and the sport of running, or we may disqualify anyone who knowingly exhibits unsportsmanlike conduct.

All participants that would like to be eligible for cash prizes and age awards must adhere to our Anti-Doping Policy.

Most GPS systems will continue over the Ambassador Bridge, but drop out upon entering the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and resume on the other side.

The following explanation is from the USA Track & Field Road Running Technical Council, which certified the course:

“GPS devices work by receiving signals from satellites. The quality of different GPS units can vary, but all of them can be affected by conditions such as buildings in urban environments or heavy overhead tree cover that interfere with reception of the satellite signals and can cause them to be inaccurate.

Race courses Certified by USATF are measured by a proven method that incorporates the calibration of measuring devices against a steel tape and are verified by multiple measurements.

Race courses are measured along a well-defined path called the “SPR”—the Shortest Possible Route that a runner can possibly run. Most runners don’t actually run the SPR, so the distance recorded by their GPS device will usually be longer than the certified length of the course, even though the course was properly measured along the SPR according to USATF rules.”

No, our course and finish line are closed to all non-participants. We share in the joy of your accomplishment as you near the finish line. But for your safety and the safety of fellow participants, we ask that you refrain from running in with others who are not part of the race.

We recommend you find your family and friends at Runner Reunite, located on the northwest side of Campus Martius and Woodward. There will be signs displaying letters of the alphabet; make plans to meet at the sign displaying the letter of your runner’s last name!

Note: No stopping or standing will be allowed in the finish chute. Once you finish the race, you must continue moving through the finish chute.

Below are the time limits:

  • Marathon or Marathon Relay: 6.5 hours
  • International Half-Marathon: 4 hours
  • Motor City Half-Marathon: 3.5 hours
  • 5K: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • 1-Mile: 20 minutes

The Detroit People Mover will be open and operating on marathon weekend. People Mover Stations can be found here.

Transit Windsor will be operating the Tunnel Bus beginning at 5:15 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19. Buses will depart from Windsor International Transit Terminal, 300 Chatham Street West, Windsor, Ont. Passengers will be dropped off near the Detroit side of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. The same location will be used to return to Windsor. Three buses will be in use until 6:00 a.m. when the Tunnel will close to traffic. It is $10 (US or Canadian funds) each way. You must have exact change if paying in cash.

Saturday races: At the Start/Finish Line
Sunday races: All locations are noted by a red cross on all of the course maps. Medical Central is located near Campus Martius. There will also be a medical tent for minor injuries as you exit the finish line.

Registration for 2025 opens January 1, 2025. Register here. Ensure lowest prices by registering early!

Please check back for updates as the marathon weekend approaches.

Race overview

The next Detroit Free Press Marathon weekend will talk place October 17-20, 2025. The Marathon, International Half- Marathon, Motor City Half- Marathon and Marathon Relay take place on Sunday October 19. The 5k, 1-Mile, Kids Marathon and Meijer Little Detroit Dash will take place on Saturday October 19.

2025 Dates:

Friday, Oct. 17, 2025

Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025

Sunday,  Oct.19, 2025

2026 Dates:

Friday, Oct. 16, 2026

Saturday Oct. 17, 2026

Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026

Yes! Get all the insider info you need for race weekend with our comprehensive 2024 Participate Guide! From logistics to maps to after party and mobile app info this guide has you covered. Click here to view and download our Marathon Guide.

Entry fees are non-refundable. That means that once we receive and accept your entry, you will not receive a refund if you cannot participate.

You may, however, transfer your entry to another year. Information about transfers can be found here.

Since the events are international, it is a federal offense to cross borders illegally. Therefore, do not give your number to another person. It is each participant’s responsibility to provide proper documentation for picking up their packet.

The Detroit Free Press Marathon, in accordance with management executives, city officials and local law enforcement, has the authority to cancel any of the events for emergency purposes, such as, but not limited to, inclement weather or threat of terrorism. If such emergency conditions force cancellation, refunds cannot be provided because funds will have been spent in preparation for the race.

If you cannot participate in the event you signed up for, more information about transfers and deferrals can be found here.

Yes, the Detroit Free Press Marathon is certified by USA Track and Field (USATF) officials each year to an exact standard that guarantees event distances are correct.

We are not a USATF sanctioned event. This means that it is not possible to set an American record on our course, nor is it possible to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

Yes, the Detroit Free Press Marathon is a Boston-qualifying race, and runners are eligible to apply if they run a qualifying time. The qualifying standard and the application process is covered at www.BAA.org.

Each year, we partner with charities for our Run for a Reason Program.

When you designate an official charity during registration, it does not mean that a portion of your registration fee goes to the designated charity; it instead means that you have the option to raise funds for your charity. In order to sign up with your chosen charity, check out the Official Charities section of our site.

Yes, finishers in all races receive a medal. They each have the same design, but varying sizes based on the distance of the race – smaller for 5K, larger for Marathon. Each medal also has a distinct ribbon based on the race distance.

The course records for our marathon:

Male
Greg Meyer, Boston
2:13:07 (1980)

Female
Elena Orlova, Russia
2:34:16 (2004)

Runners who break a course record will win an additional $500.

Our mid-October date generally provides participants with ideal running weather. A cool morning start and cool to mild mid-race temperatures with  limited precipitation.

We no longer offer virtual options for any of our races.

Registration

Registration is available online now through our registration partner, EnMotive. Sign up here.

Deadline to register for 2025 events coming soon.

You may run the Marathon Relay as a team member, and run another individual, international event (Marathon or International Half-Marathon) concurrently, as long as you register for and pay the entry fee for both events. You must run Leg #1 of the Marathon Relay to avoid difficult timing issues. For this reason, you may not run the Marathon Relay and the Motor City Half-Marathon together.

Your steps to success:

  • You will be given two separate bib numbers – one for the Marathon Relay and one for your individual event. You must wear both. Each relay team, overall, will receive one timing bib on a belt. This bib will start with leg 1 and will be passed between each leg runner.
  • You will run the 1st leg of the Relay, and will cross the timing mat at the start of Relay Leg 2. Once you have crossed the mat and Relay Leg 2 Runner has started, your Relay participation is over.
  • Just remove your relay timing bib on the belt and give it to the next leg runner. Remove the Relay bib from the front of your shirt and display your individual event bib.

No, you can only register for the Half Marathon or the Marathon (not both).

Registration opens on Jan. 1, 2025.  The opening price remains in effect until Jan. 6, 2025. After that, prices rise roughly every 2-3 months.  To view pricing details, click here.

If you deferred in 2024, you are already registered for 2025. An email will be sent to all those individuals with instructions on how to update your registration. If you have any questions about this process, drop us a line at support@freepmarathon.zendesk.com.

Transfers to new participants, change in distances or deferrals

Participants are able to change distances, or transfer to another participant for a $25 fee, up until September 9 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Participants in our U.S.-Only races may continue transfer to another participant or change distances for a $25 fee, up until Oct. 13 at 11:59 p.m. EST, with some exceptions. Instructions for how to change your registration to another distance, how to transfer to another person or defer your registration through our registration partner EnMotive can be found below.

Transferring to a new participant

  1. Log into your EnMotive account here. Click ‘Registrations’ and find your 2024 registration for the Detroit Free Press Marathon.
  2. In the right corner of your registration, click on the three dots.
  3. Select Actions Transfer registration.
  4. Please enter the email address of the person you wish to transfer your registration to. This will then send an email with transfer information to the new registrant.
  5. The new registrant will be able to use the custom link sent to them for 48 hours. They will be charged the transfer fee.
  6. If the person does not transfer their registration within 48 hours, you will need to follow steps 1-4 again to get a new custom link sent out.
  7. The new registrant does not have to participate in the same race as the original participant. When they sign up with the custom link, they will be able to select a new event and just pay the difference in price between the two!

Note: EnMotive will not refund the registration fee for the original registration. Any compensation for the transferred registration needs to be handled outside of the platform.

Changing to a different distance

  1. Log into your EnMotive account here. Click “Registrations” and find your current 2024 registration for the Detroit Free Press Marathon.
  2. In the right corner of your registration, click on the three dots.
  3. Select “View Registration.”
  4. Next to category click “edit.”
  5. Choose the event distance you would like to change to.
  6. You will need to answer all the necessary questions and pay the difference between the two events if you are upgrading as well as the category change fee.

Deferring your registration

Participants are able to defer their registration to the 2025 event for a $50 fee, up until October 13, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Instructions for how to defer your registration through EnMotive can be found below. If you miss this deadline and you still need to defer, you must come to the Health & Fitness Expo and defer at the Problems & Solutions booth.

Self-Service Deferral Instructions:

  1. Log into your EnMotive Account here. Click “Registrations” and find your current 2024 registration for our event.
  2. In the right corner of your registration, click on the three dots.
  3. Select “Defer to another event.”
  4. From the event dropdown menu, select “2025 Detroit Free Press Marathon,” then follow the prompts to complete the deferral.
  5. Once your self-deferral is complete*, you will receive an email with your 2025 event information. You will not need to re-register when 2025 registration opens.

*For the Challenge Series, you will only have to self-defer one event in the series and pay the deferral fee at that time. Then, you will need to reach out to request deferral(s) of other event(s) in the Challenge Series at no cost. Details below.

Supreme:

Wonder:

Temptation:

All registrations are non-refundable, but if you registered for the 2025 event and unfortunately are unable to participate on race day, you have a few options:

1. Transfer your registration to another individual.

2. Defer your registration to the 2026 event.

Instructions on transferring or deferring your registration can be found here.

You can confirm your race registration by looking up your name here.

To confirm your information, race distance and more, follow the steps below:

  1. Login to your EnMotive account, here
  2. Click Registrations
  3. Find the “2025 Detroit Free Press Marathon” event
  4. Click “View Registration”

Participants are able to modify their shirt size and pace time by following the below instructions:

  1. Login to your EnMotive account, here
  2. Click ‘‘My Account’’ in the upper right corner
  3. Scroll to the race registration that you need to update the size for (2025 Detroit Free Press Marathon)
  4. Click ‘‘View Registration’’
  5. To update race shirt size, click “edit” next to products. Size changes are not allowed for any purchased products. Please reach out to Running Lab if you would like to request a size change.
  6. To update estimated pace, click “edit” next to additional details
  7. Update and save!

Any other registration details must be updated by race staff at this time. Please contact us if this is necessary.

Note: Any edits to your distance/chosen race is considered a category change that will incur a change fee. Please visit our transfer and changes page for all information regarding switching your distance/race.

Below are step-by-step instructions to join an established relay team.

  1. You will begin registration here.
  2. Make sure there are no other registrations in your cart in the top right corner. If there are pending registrations in your cart, please complete them or remove them before moving forward with the next steps.
  3. Select Marathon Relay.
  4. Select the person participating from your EnMotive account profile and click next.
  5. Follow the flow of registration
  6. When you get to the Add Details page under Team section you will find and select your team name from the drop-down list.
  7. When prompted, please select one of the legs available.
  8. Once the leg is selected the correct questions for that leg will populate. You must answer those, click continue and it will take you to a billing/checkout page and show that you owe $0.00. You must answer all questions to bring the total down to $0.00.
  9. Finally, make sure you select “complete” from the billing page.

It is highly recommended that you purchase the EnMotive Protection Plan (Registration Insurance) as your entry fee is non-refundable.

The EnMotive Protection Plan may be purchased for a nominal fee when registering for any of our events. All policy information can be found here. The EnMotive Protection Plan typically covers approved medically related situations (see policy for details) but will not cover your registration fee if the event is canceled either by organizers or the government for incidents like COVID-19, inclement weather, etc.

The EnMotive Protection Plan cannot be purchased after registration and must be purchased while completing registration for any of our events.

Participant eligibility

Yes, age requirements vary by race and are below:

  • Marathon – must be at least 16 years of age.
  • Marathon Relay, International Half-Marathon, or Motor City Half-Marathon –  must be 14 years or older.
  • 5K – No age requirement.**
  • 1-Mile Race – No age requirement.**
  • Kids Marathon – Ages 6-13.**
  • Meijer Little Detroit Dash – Ages 8 or under.*

*One parent/guardian is allowed to participate with a child in the (untimed) Meijer Little Detroit Dash without a bib or registration.

**Only those registered for the (timed) 1-Mile, Kids Marathon and the 5K will be allowed on the course.

If you are not a citizen of the U.S., it is strongly recommended that you verify the specific document requirements of both your country of residence and the countries you will be visiting.

It is strongly recommended that you verify the specific document requirements of both your country of residence and the countries you will be visiting. Resources and helpful links can be found HERE.

An enhanced driver’s license from states that currently offer them (Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, Washington) is allowed to be used as your WHTI compliant document.

Michigan residents who plan on applying for an enhanced driver’s license through the Michigan Secretary of State are urged to submit their paperwork as early as possible ahead of the race to ensure adequate processing time. For more information, please go here.

For residents of Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington, please check with your Secretary of State or DMV departments for instructions on applying for an enhanced driver’s license.

Most likely, yes. But you should be aware of your admissibility to Canada. In general, people are considered to be criminally inadmissible to Canada if they were convicted of an offense in Canada or were convicted of an offense outside of Canada that is considered a crime in Canada, such as an OWI/DUI. In order to enter Canada, these people must obtain Approval of Rehabilitation or a Temporary Resident Permit at a Canadian Consulate or Embassy. You can find more information here.

Race preparation

 START LINE: 

  • The Sunday races start at Fort and 2nd. From Gear Check, runners should take Michigan Avenue west to Lafayette. Corrals may be accessed from Lafayette on the north or Congress on the south.
  • International Marathon, Half Marathon, and Relay Corrals open at 6:15am and close at 6:55am.
  • Adaptive Athlete division start is at 6:58am. The main field begins at 7am
  • No late starts will be allowed. Please arrive with plenty of time to get your gear checked, use the bathroom, and arrive to your corral in a timely manner.
  • Corrals A-F will hold a mixture of International marathoners, international half marathoners, and relay Leg 1 participants. Corrals G and H will be international half marathoners only. No marathoners or relay participants will be allowed to start in corrals G and H. Please enter your corral under the sign with your assigned corral’s letter.
  • If you want to run with a friend in a different corral, you may drop BACK together, but runners may not advance forward. For example, a runner assigned to Corral B may choose to start in Corral C. A runner assigned to Corral C may not begin in Corral B. No marathoners may start in Corrals G and H.
  • Motor City Half Marathon begins at 10:30am. There are no corrals for the Motor City Half Marathon.
  • Only registered participants are allowed in the start corrals.
  • Gear Check is located on Monroe, just north of Campus Martius, and is open from 5:30am-2:30pm. This is near the finish line. There is no gear check at the start line so give yourself plenty of time to check gear and make it to the start line. Please use the clear bag provided to you at Expo.
  • Securely attach the Gear Check tab on your bib to your bag prior to arrival. Bibs must be presented to collect bags after the race.
  • Oversized items, such as luggage, WILL NOT be allowed. The Detroit Free Press Marathon is not responsible for lost items.

FINISH LINE:

  • The finish line is located on Woodward at Congress, south of Campus Martius.
  • Spectator viewing is located on both sides of the finish chute, south of Congress. No spectators are allowed on the course at any time, or in the secure zones immediately adjacent to the finish line.
  • Please select a location at which to meet friends and family after the event, such as Runner Reunite, located on the northwest side of Campus Martius. The area immediately surrounding the finish line and runner refresh will be highly congested – avoid planning a meetup in this area!
  • There is no stopping or standing in the Finish Chute. Please keep moving towards the exit at the end of Runner Refresh. This includes waiting for fellow runners to cross the line! There is no re-entry to this area once you have departed.
  • Runners will receive a mylar blanket, water, Gatorade Endurance, and a Finisher Medal in Runner Refresh. They will also be offered chocolate milk, a banana and a bag of various snacks including goldfish crackers, graham crackers, an apple, and a Clif Builder bar – all courtesy of our amazing sponsors including Absopure Water, Gatorade Endurance, United Dairy, Meijer, Envy and Clif! Thank you all!
  • Runner Reunite is located on Woodward on the northwest side of Campus Martius and serves as an easy location for runners to meet up with friends and family post-race.
  • No participants will be allowed to wait inside the finish chute or Runner Refresh zone for fellow runners.
  • Signs will be posted displaying letters of the alphabet. Choose which letter under which to reunite ahead of time.
  • Most importantly, have a pre-established plan, and stick to it! There will be thousands of people in the area race morning. Plan ahead.

All international (Marathon, International Half-Marathon, and Marathon Relay Leg 1) race packets MUST be picked up in person at the Health & Fitness Expo on either Friday or Saturday.

Packets for the Motor City Half-Marathon, the 5K, 1-Mile, Kids Marathon or the Meijer Little Detroit Dash may be picked up in person at the expo, or may be picked up by someone else if they have a copy of your confirmation email, printed out.

Finally, participants in the 5K, 1-Mile, Kids Marathon or the Meijer Little Detroit Dash may pick up their packets on Saturday morning near the Start/Finish Line.

NOTE: Those running The Wonder or The Supreme MUST pick up their packets on Friday at the Health & Fitness Expo. Saturday pickup will not be allowed. Those running only The Temptation can pick up their packets on Friday at the expo or Saturday before the races.

Participants competing in an event conducted solely in the United States (Motor City Half-Marathon, Marathon Relay Legs 2, 3, 4 or 5, 5K, 1-Mile, Kids Marathon or Meijer Little Detroit Dash) may have someone else pick up their race packet. The person picking up the packet must bring with them a printed copy of the participant’s confirmation email to show to our volunteers at the Health & Fitness Expo.

All participants competing in an event that crosses the U.S./Canadian border (Marathon, International Half-Marathon, or Marathon Relay Leg 1), regardless of citizenship, must show up in person in order to pick up their packet.  And they must bring their international credentials.

There will be no exceptions, and no picking up of packets on race day.

NOTE: Those running The Wonder or The Supreme MUST pick up their packets on Friday at the Health & Fitness Expo. Saturday pickup will not be allowed. Those running only The Temptation can pick up their packets on Friday at the Expo or Saturday before the races.

Most of the Downtown Detroit hotels are located within walking distance of our start and finish lines.

You can reserve a hotel room through our official housing provider TriMar USA. We encourage all participants to book reservations through the link below and ONLY use these hotels that support our event.

Reserve A Room Now

We offer a long-sleeve technical shirt to all participants. Please note that our tech shirts do tend to run small. When you place your order for a shirt, we will make every effort to provide you the size requested. However, shirts are ordered months in advance of the event, based on estimates. Therefore, we may not have enough of every size available at the Health & Fitness Expo. We advise you to arrive early in order to guarantee your size.

The Start Line for the Marathon, both Half Marathons and the first leg of the Relay will be on Fort Street and Second Avenue. The closest address is 536 W. Fort Street which is a parking lot.

Race weekend details

The current start times for all events are as follows. These times are subject to change, so please check back here closer to race weekend. NO LATE STARTS ALLOWED:

Saturday, Oct. 18

1-Mile: 8:25 a.m.

5K: 8:50 a.m.

Kids Marathon: 9:30 a.m.

Meijer Little Detroit Dash: 10 a.m. 

Sunday, Oct. 19

Marathon – Adaptive Athletes Division: 6:58 a.m.

Marathon, Marathon Relay and International Half-Marathon: 7 a.m.

Motor City Half-Marathon: 10:30 a.m. 

Note: All start times are subject to change. NO LATE STARTS ALLOWED.

The Motor City Half Marathon will start at 10:30am. 

The current start times for all events are as follows:  

Sunday, Oct. 19

Marathon – Adaptive Athletes Division: 6:58 a.m.

Marathon, Marathon Relay and International Half-Marathon: 7 a.m.

Motor City Half-Marathon: 10:30 a.m. 

Note: All start times are subject to change.

Yes. One parent or guardian may run with their child during the Meijer Little Detroit Dash.

The entrance to the Ambassador Bridge is approximately 2 miles after the start. Our narrow running passage may become congested. We use a wave start, and we have carefully calculated the flow of runners to help minimize the impact. We ask that you be honest about your projected time, and that you start in your assigned wave. You must stay within the boundaries of the course as marked for your own safety, as well as for those around you.

We also ask you refrain from taking pictures or selfies while on the bridge. Sudden stops from participants impacts other runners and can slow everyone down. Be mindful of where and how often you stop along the course. If you need to slow down, please move to the side of the course.

The Ambassador Bridge will have restricted traffic on race day Sunday.

The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel will close on Sunday’s race day. The closure will last from approximately 6:15-10 a.m.

Participants will get a clear plastic bag when they pick up their race packet at the Health & Fitness Expo. This is the only bag that can be used for gear check. No personal bags can be used.
There will only be one gear check location: on Monroe Street (northeast side of Campus Martius). This is where you will drop off and pick up your checked gear. This location is a few blocks away from where the start line corrals are located. Plan accordingly.
Gear check will be available from 5:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Note: Runners should attach the tab on their bib to their bag prior to arrival at gear check. You must show your runner bib to collect your gear check items to ensure the correct items are given to the correct people. Don’t put anything of value in the bag, including keys, phone, wallet or money. The bags get moved around and smaller items may fall out.

We do have two timing clocks out on the marathon course – at mile 13.1 and mile 20 of the International Marathon. These clocks are set to the event’s gun time – or the start of Corral A. There are no additional clocks on course.

Each participant’s individual time begins when they cross the start line timing mats. Therefore, clocks along the course will only represent accurate times for the first runners to start the race. It takes more than 30 minutes to get all runners on course, so the clocks would reflect incorrect times for the vast majority of runners.

We recommend participants keep track of their own times via simple running watch or any number of GPS-enabled devices available.

YES! We have strategically placed fluid stations throughout our course for your hydration and enjoyment. Absopure water and Gatorade Endurance Lemon Lime will also be available at every aid station. There will be two GU nutrition stations along the marathon course and one nutrition station on the half marathon course It’s our goal to set up each station consistently so that you know what to expect.

We ask that you crush your cups after you have finished, and if possible, place them in the waste receptacles as you exit the fluid station. Be sure to thank the hundreds of volunteers at our 19 fluid stations along the course who are there to serve you and to cheer you on!

Yes – Hydration packs, hand held water bottles and/or hydration belts are allowed on the course.

Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel no longer prohibits liquids from being carried by participants on the course. However, runners are discouraged from carrying large items on these portions of the course as they may be asked to either inspect or drop them. At the end of the day, it is up to the runner’s discretion.

Border agents may still stop, or confiscate, large hydration packs that look like backpacks as a security precaution. If you do decide to wear a hydration pack, please be mindful that the risk of being stopped along the border during the race, although low, will still be present.

Yes!

On Pace Race will be providing pacers for the Marathon, International Half-Marathon and Motor City Half-Marathon. On Pace is a vibrant community of athletes who can be found pacing races throughout the United States. This is On Pace’s first time working with the Detroit Free Press Marathon. It has 76 members on its team, each helping other runners get to the finish line in their goal time.

You can connect with the pacers in the starting corrals. They will be in order of pace (faster pacers closer to the start) at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the race. Feel free to introduce yourself — and run with a pacer! On Pace’s strategy will be to run mainly even splits. They will be pacing the following times:

Marathon: 3:00, 3:05, 3:10, 3:15, 3:20, 3:25, 3:30, 3:35, 3:40, 3:50, 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, 4:45, 5:00, 5:15, 5:30, 5:45, 6:00, sweeper

International Half-Marathon: 1:30, 1:35, 1:40, 1:45, 1:50, 1:55, 2:00, 2:10, 2:15, 2:20, 2:30, 2:45, 3:00, 3:15, 3:30, sweeper

Motor City Half-Marathon: 1:30, 1:35, 1:40, 1:45, 1:50, 1:55, 2:00, 2:10, 2:15, 2:20, 2:30, 2:45, 3:00, 3:15, 3:30

We will have nutrition along the course. Check back closer to in-season training for an announcement on this year’s course nutrition brand.

We strongly discourage the wearing of music devices. Participants must be alert to their surroundings and able to hear medical emergency vehicles, motorcycles, buses and official marathon vehicles. For your safety and the safety of those around you, we strongly urge you to run headphone-free.

For the safety of all of our participants, strollers, bicycles, pets or animals of any kind, rollerblades and skateboards are not permitted in any of our events, including the 5K and Meijer Little Detroit Dash.

Unofficial support bikers are not allowed on the course.

We conduct our events under USA Track & Field (USATF) guidelines. We will use a qualified referee to help us settle any results concerns. We may exclude from competition anyone who has previously discredited themselves and the sport of running, or we may disqualify anyone who knowingly exhibits unsportsmanlike conduct.

All participants that would like to be eligible for cash prizes and age awards must adhere to our Anti-Doping Policy.

Most GPS systems will continue over the Ambassador Bridge, but drop out upon entering the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and resume on the other side.

The following explanation is from the USA Track & Field Road Running Technical Council, which certified the course:

“GPS devices work by receiving signals from satellites. The quality of different GPS units can vary, but all of them can be affected by conditions such as buildings in urban environments or heavy overhead tree cover that interfere with reception of the satellite signals and can cause them to be inaccurate.

Race courses Certified by USATF are measured by a proven method that incorporates the calibration of measuring devices against a steel tape and are verified by multiple measurements.

Race courses are measured along a well-defined path called the “SPR”—the Shortest Possible Route that a runner can possibly run. Most runners don’t actually run the SPR, so the distance recorded by their GPS device will usually be longer than the certified length of the course, even though the course was properly measured along the SPR according to USATF rules.”

No, our course and finish line are closed to all non-participants. We share in the joy of your accomplishment as you near the finish line. But for your safety and the safety of fellow participants, we ask that you refrain from running in with others who are not part of the race.

We recommend you find your family and friends at Runner Reunite, located on the northwest side of Campus Martius and Woodward. There will be signs displaying letters of the alphabet; make plans to meet at the sign displaying the letter of your runner’s last name!

Note: No stopping or standing will be allowed in the finish chute. Once you finish the race, you must continue moving through the finish chute.

Below are the time limits:

  • Marathon or Marathon Relay: 6.5 hours
  • International Half-Marathon: 4 hours
  • Motor City Half-Marathon: 3.5 hours
  • 5K: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • 1-Mile: 20 minutes

The Detroit People Mover will be open and operating on marathon weekend. People Mover Stations can be found here.

Transit Windsor will be operating the Tunnel Bus beginning at 5:15 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19. Buses will depart from Windsor International Transit Terminal, 300 Chatham Street West, Windsor, Ont. Passengers will be dropped off near the Detroit side of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. The same location will be used to return to Windsor. Three buses will be in use until 6:00 a.m. when the Tunnel will close to traffic. It is $10 (US or Canadian funds) each way. You must have exact change if paying in cash.

Saturday races: At the Start/Finish Line
Sunday races: All locations are noted by a red cross on all of the course maps. Medical Central is located near Campus Martius. There will also be a medical tent for minor injuries as you exit the finish line.