As the Detroit Free Press Marathon's popularity continues to grow, so, too, its accomplishments.
On Wednesday afternoon, the annual event was recognized for the first time by USA TODAY's 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards as the best marathon in the country. It became the third marathon to win the honor dating back to 2023.
The local race outvoted 20 other major events across the country, including the Cincinnati Flying Pig, St. George and New York Marathons.
"We see this probably [as] one of the best accolades we've received as a race operation in our history," said Vice President and Race Director of the Detroit Free Press Marathon Aaron Velthoven. "We were chosen by the voters within the running community against a tremendous list of who's who of some of the great marathons across the U.S. So, it's extremely humbling and we take tremendous value and pride in accepting this recognition."
This year's full and international half-marathons are sold out. There are already 24,000 registered runners for this year's event, which is 2,000 shy of the 26,000 from last year.
The Free Press Marathon began in 1978 after former Detroit Free Press editor Neal Shine witnessed the Falmouth Road Race in Massachusetts and was eager to bring a similar event to Detroit, according to the marathon's website. Shine suggested that the Free Press would sponsor the event after attending a newspaper convention where he learned that a Montreal newspaper sponsored a Canadian marathon, according to previous Free Press reporting.
The marathon is distinctive in part for its international course, which has been part of the event since its inception.
Runners began the race in downtown Windsor, running a mile through the underwater Detroit-Windsor tunnel, crossing through the Grosse Pointes and ending in Belle Isle, according to Ed Kozloff, the race's founding director.
In 1999, Doug Kurtis, a former racer turned director, changed the course to include the Ambassador Bridge, a tradition that still carries on today.
"We started in Windsor Park, and I knew that to grow the race we couldn't bus everyone over there," Kurtis said. "... plus I thought it would be a huge highlight to be able to run over the bridge."
In 2022, Velthoven said the team redesigned the Detroit side of the course to pass through several Detroit neighborhoods including Woodbridge, Eastern Market, Brush Park, Indian Village and concluding at Campus Martius. The course change, he said, was a "homerun," receiving positive reviews from participants.
"You truly get to experience Detroit in one of the most unique ways through a marathon through the streets," Velthoven said. "We're blessed to have just a beautiful city."
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