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@laurenmarcon
Ferndale, MI Raving since 2020 Active 3 years, 12 months agoAbout Me
My Races
Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.
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Personal Bests (2)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Free Press Marathon | Marathon | Detroit, MI | Oct 20, 2019 | 4:33:35 |
| Martian Invasion of Races | Half Marathon | Dearborn, MI | Apr 13, 2019 | 1:58:42 |
Future Races (0)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Paid |
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Past Races (3)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result | My Raves | My Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Free Press Marathon | Marathon | Detroit, MI | Oct 20, 2019 | 4:33:35 |
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| Martian Invasion of Races | Half Marathon | Dearborn, MI | Apr 13, 2019 | 1:58:42 |
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| Frightening 5K | Half Marathon | Leslie, MI | Oct 27, 2018 | 2:15:04 |
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Detroit Free Press Marathon
My first marathon!
Detroit Free Press Marathon
I don't have any other full marathons to compare this to since it was my first, but I honestly couldn't have chosen a better one for that experience! It's also … MORE
I don’t have any other full marathons to compare this to since it was my first, but I honestly couldn’t have chosen a better one for that experience! It’s also cool because it’s international – you’ll run through Canada as well as the U.S. (and the Canadian border patrol is so friendly when welcoming you into their country, as Canadians typically are :)).
The expo was extremely fun and there was so much set up for it I didn’t have time to look at it all! They had flags for each country that was participating in the race lining the entry-way, and a giant video screen showing a car’s view of the full marathon route. It was nice to watch that beforehand. The race shirt is awesome too – it has the Ambassador Bridge on the back of it which is my favorite part of the race!
The race starts in downtown Detroit and they play Eminem before you start which is pretty badass. Within the first 2 miles you are crossing the Ambassador Bridge into Canada while the sun rises over the Detroit River. Lots of people stop to take selfies at this point, so it’s best to stay in the center of the crowd to avoid getting stuck behind them. There’s a little bit of a hill to go up the bridge and back down, but it’s nothing extreme. I trained for elevation thinking it was going to be more drastic than it was!
You’ll run in Canada for about 5 miles and then head back to the U.S. through the tunnel, or the “Underwater Mile”! It’s a little hot in here, but I didn’t feel claustrophobic at all. There’s a similar dip in elevation to the bridge, maybe a tiny bit more drastic. You’ll reenter the U.S. at the end where a TON of crowds come to cheer you on back into the city.
The half marathon ends in the city and the full marathon runners leave again to head to Belle Isle. You’ll run through really pretty Detroit houses with old architecture and lots of families standing in their lawns to cheer you on. After you pass these you’ll come to Belle Isle at mile 19 where almost all the crowds of people disappear and you’re out on your own. The bridge is nice and open and there are people on each side exiting or entering the island. The only negative part of the race is how empty Belle Isle was – I really appreciate signs and music so it was hard to get past the hardest part of the race without cheering! This is the only part I put my headphones in for.
You’ll run straight back to the city where the end of the marathon is. There are gates holding back crowds with bleachers(?) of people cheering for you. It was amazing! The medal was super cool and heavy and had an old time Chevy vehicle on it, appropriate for the Motor City.
Martian Invasion of Races
Great theme!
Martian Invasion of Races
The theme of this race made it so fun! There were aliens everywhere, including the huge expo beforehand. This was my first larger race (participant-wise) so I was impressed with … MORE
The theme of this race made it so fun! There were aliens everywhere, including the huge expo beforehand. This was my first larger race (participant-wise) so I was impressed with how well organized everything was for there being so many people. They had a LOT of porto potties in the parking lot right by the race start too which I’m always thankful for.
The starting lineup was pretty crowded and I had to almost walk-jog the first quarter mile because there were so many people. After it thinned out it was much more breathable. There wasn’t a lot to look at along the course unless you passed by people outside their houses cheering you on. The last couple miles of the half marathon was nice because it went through a park. The course is flat overall so that was a relief since at the time I was trying for under two hours. I made my goal thanks to the awesome pacers that were on the course!
The medal was a giant alien head which is the coolest thing hanging in my room. The race shirt was cool, but didn’t end up fitting me because I got a men’s size on accident. I would definitely run this race again, but probably only the half again since there wasn’t a whole lot of scenery to look at!
Frightening 5K
Very festive!
Frightening 5K
This was my first half marathon in 2018! I picked it because I loved running in the dark and the race started about an hour before sunset. Leslie, MI gives … MORE
This was my first half marathon in 2018! I picked it because I loved running in the dark and the race started about an hour before sunset. Leslie, MI gives off a very small-town feel to me, which is very welcoming since I come from a small town. All the houses and downtown area are decked out in Halloween decorations and most of the runners had costumes on!
Packet pickup and the race start line was all around the same spot in their downtown area and easy to find. There wasn’t a HUGE amount of people racing the year I ran (I didn’t have much to compare it to at the time since it was my first half marathon!), so by the time everyone had spread out around mile 3 or 4 I didn’t have a lot of people running around me.
Most of the race goes out into the countryside with a few hills throughout. A lot of people who live in the area stand outside their houses to cheer you on and there are trucks parked along the course with little fueling stations every couple miles.
Along with a nice bright orange Halloween themed tech shirt (so festive!), they gave us blinking arm bands and reflective tape to wear during the race for when it got dark out. I thought that was super thoughtful and helpful for when cars were out on the course and couldn’t see you well otherwise.
My favorite part was running through the graveyard at the end! I really loved that they went all out for the Halloween theme, and ending the race with about 0.5 miles through a graveyard was a nice touch. They had a guy announcing everyone who finished at the end and lots of pizza/bananas/drinks to have afterwards as well. It was a perfect first half for me to run personally!