- Weather
- 47°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~2,000 runners
- Course
- Flat
- Elevation
- 150 ft gain
Shaded along Grand Traverse Bay; BQ favorite
PR9Weather9Experience8
Mid-October · Midwest · Loop
Detroit Free Press Marathon
Detroit, MI · Sunday, October 18, 2026
The only marathon in the world with an official underwater international mile: the course crosses the Ambassador Bridge into Windsor, Ontario, then returns to the US through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel beneath the Detroit River. Run continuously since 1978, it's USATF-certified as a Boston qualifier despite the bridge and tunnel climbs.
Crosses the US-Canada international border
- Best for PR
- Boston Qualifier
- First Marathon
Opens the race organizer's website
Typical start
47°
Cooler than 58% of U.S. marathons
Modeled historical conditions
Elevation gain
350ft
Flatter than 42% of races
Estimated total climb
Field size
4K
Larger than 88% of races
Estimated field
PR potential
9.7/10
Top 2%
Almanac model
Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.
Course profile
350 ft gain · 0 ft net
Flat course, loop.
0510152026.2
Race-day weather
Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.
6 AM
39°
Start
47°
Midday
58°
ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk
Typical start sits at 47°F, excellent marathon conditions.
Typical dew point 40°F, 22% chance of precipitation, wind around 7 mph. All modeled.
The bottom line
A quietly fast race that does not ask for much beyond honest pacing.
Detroit Free Press Marathon is a strong choice for a PR attempt, and Detroit offers very little meaningful elevation. The tradeoff is that nothing about it is extreme in either direction.
Why runners choose this race
A loop course around Detroit, MI, with very little meaningful elevation change.
The case for it
- PR attempts
- Boston qualification
- First-time marathoners
The tradeoffs
- No notable warnings in the data.
Course and logistics
- Course type
- Loop
- Surface
- Road
- Profile
- Flat
- Total gain
- 350 ft(estimated)
- Total loss
- 350 ft(estimated)
- Net elevation
- 0 ft(estimated)
- Field size
- ~3,500-4,500 runners(estimated)
- Crowd support
- Steady crowd support
- Entry
- Data coming soon
- Start / finish
- Start and finish in the same area
Race details
- Typical timing
- Mid-October
- Next confirmed date
- Sunday, October 18, 2026
- Region
- Midwest
- Editorial tier
- Featured
- Data last reviewed
- 2026-08-26
- Best for PR
- Boston Qualifier
- First Marathon
- Loop course
- Flat course
- Destination race
Similar races
Races with a comparable profile.
- Weather
- 44°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~1,800 runners
- Course
- Flat
- Elevation
- 180 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event: Carmel Marathon
PR9Weather9Experience7
- Weather
- 48°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~1,500 runners
- Course
- Flat
- Elevation
- 250 ft gain
Lap around Lambeau Field turf
PR9Weather9Experience7