OT: Detroit Marathon
The Detroit Free Press marathon notes the requirements for events which cross borders here - LINK
Basically, passport or enhanced driver's license and you're more than likely good to go unless you've got a ton of stuff in tow.
That is not what we are all aboot
Take off hoser.
he of the ounce of trouser coke in the limo.
I did it as my first and it was really nice. good support and spirit stations, though they thin in the second half.
3 hills, known as 2 bridges (Ambassador and Belle Isle) and 1 tunnel. None of them tough, and the Ambassador and tunnel are before Mile 10.
Only marathon I know of done in 2 countries and you get an Underwater Mile split.
You show the passport at the Expo to get the bib. Then on the run you just raise your arms to show the bib when you cross borders.
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We've only ever stayed at the RenCen, it is close and reasonable if you book through the detroit marathon link. The course is really nice, although most will tell you the back half is a little boring (it is) and sparsely populated by fans (true as well). Mostly flat course although the bridge will take its toll later in the race if you don't check your pace. You will have evil thoughts towards Belle isle forever - bridge incline mile 19 going on and 23 going off and will run into a head wind the entire time.
I've run 5 differennt courses and Detroit on 4 occasions, I think it's a fairly hard course. Running my first Boston in 2 weeks so I'm interested to see how it stacks up in comparison.
I was almost stopped heading into Canada by border police because my bib was concealed. I carry my enhanced ID for piece of mind by it probably isn't necessary although if you are stopped you are screwed. I've never seen anyone get stopped unless their bib is covered. Ambassodor bridge sunrise and coming out of the tunnel into America is unlike anything I've experienced in a race and for the cost I recommend.
Oh, and run Bayshore in Traverse City in the spring if the oppurtunity comes up. That is a PR course and small scale marathon put on at a very high level.,
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If you have an enhanced license or passport that is all you need to register. Good luck!
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As far as documents, all I needed was my passport when I picked up my packet.
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I've run the full marathon twice and plan to do it again this year. I'll echo what almost everybody has said so far regarding going over the bridge and Belle Isle being the roughest part due to it being at The Wall, the high winds, and you lose the crowd out there.
However, if you are looking for a hotel downtown they all seem to be sold out right now, which is way earlier than they were the last two years. I tried everything close and only the RenCen had rooms and that was only after going through AAA.
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Ran the Detroit Marathon last year. For me, the Chicago Marathon delivers the best overall experience and sets a pretty high standard. The Detroit race is a bit more low-key, but is still worth checking out. As was mentioned by others, the best things about the Detroit course are front-loaded. Crossing over the Ambassador bridge into Canada (~mile 3) was awesome, and you couldn't beat the view. The course takes you along the river and around Windsor a bit before you hit the tunnel back to Detroit (~mile 8), making for a fun first half. As far as ID, I put my passport (which was required for registration and packet pick-up) in a ziploc bag and taped it to the back of my bib just in case. I didn't notice anyone getting stopped, but things were pretty tight around the boarder crossings.
It does drop off from there, though. The field really thins out as the 1/2 marathoners split off, and the general lack of spectators makes for some very quiet stretches across the back-end. I also agree with the other runners who said that the Belle Isle section was a bit uninspiring. Most of the course is flat, though, so the miles do tend to go by fairly quickly. One of the things that kind of annoyed me was the fact that a relay was being run concurrently, which was very noticeable towards the end of the race. As you're starting to hit the wall, you have runners who are just starting off their short leg - many of them flying past you as you are fighting to keep pace. While the added motivation of passing them a mile or so later was helpful, their enthusiasm was not shared by many that late in the game.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend checking the Detroit Marathon out at least once - even if you decide just to do the International 1/2 Marathon (first half). The two country aspect was very unique and it made for a fun homecoming.