A few caveats for my review: 1) Detroit is my hometown, but I now live i Alabama, 2) I trained hard for this race to break 4 hours (only other marathon I ran was 4:06).

I signed up well in advance for this race and I worked the Jeff Galloway 26 week training program for it. The race was in mid-October, so this meant many long runs in the Alabama heat over the summer. The course profile is relatively flat,so I thought I could meet my goal.

The race, course, and my performance all met my expectations. It is quite unique to be able to run a race in 2 different countries and to cross the Ambassador Bridge at sunrise. These are wonderful memories.

Course- The course is all on city streets in downtown Detroit and Windsor. The scenery is typical urban environment with some parks and nice views of the Detroit River, Detroit skyline, and Windsor skyline. The course if relatively flat. The biggest hills are the Ambassador bridge, Detroit/Windsor tunnel, and Belle Isle Bridge. The Belle Isle bridge was harder than I expected from the course profile.- probably because it is at miles 20 and 22.

There was a mix of areas with supportive crowds and some stretches with no crowds. Coming out of the tunnel is especially memorable with the large crowds.

After the half/marathon split, the crowds and runners got a little thinner, but it was still comfortable.

The starting mile was not too congested. I was able to keep my pace. It did get narrow on the ramp up to the Ambassador Bridge, which slowed me down a little. The runners getting selfies on the bridge also slowed us a bit, but not too bad.

The tunnel was a bit challenging. I was pleasantly surprised that my GPS worked fine in the tunnel. However, it was a warm day and the tunnel was pretty warm and a little stuffy. One person passed out in the tunnel.

I saw two other half marathoners in distress at miles 10 and 11. Aid was quick in getting to both of them.

Border crossings- The border crossings were no problem. The whole pack of runners kept running through without delays. I appreciated the humor of Canadian customs as the runners approached. US Customs seemed to watch us closely but gave out high fives.

Parking- Parking is challenging and Detroit's public transit system is not the best in the country. My parents drove me down and we chose a parking lot about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile from the start line. We got there early as the lot was opening.

Organization- The race organization was very good. The information before the expo and race was helpful, concise, and accurate. The expo was well organized. Picking up my packet was quick, but like all expos you have to walk through all the exhibitors to exit. You have to have your passport to pick up your packet.

The race start line was well organized. The bathroom lines were typical of other large races I have run. The water stations were well manned and enthusiastic.

Two minor complaints. First is the finish line organization. It was a warm humid morning and the rain finally let loose just a few minutes before I finished. I received my medal as I crossed the finish line. All the other finish line volunteers were scrambling to get dry and did not hand out blankets, water, snacks, etc. I was hurting a little bit when I crossed, so having that help would have been appreciated. I grabbed a blanket and headed to meet my family. Meeting family was not difficult.

Second was the late delivery of the shirts. The organizers let us know before the expo that the shirts were going to be late. At the expo, they passed out a bonus T-Shirt with the logo. The long sleeve tech shirt arrive at my house about Thanksgiving ( a month after the event). The organizer sent out frequent updates on the status.
However, I was worth the wait. This is by far the best graphic I have of any race shirt. It has the skyline wrapped around the bottom of the shirt. It is also an ultra soft material. It is too nice to wear running, so I wear it as a casual shirt.

All-in-all, this was a very good event. I was happy to beat my 4 hour goal, even if it was by just a few seconds.