2021 Detroit Free Press Marathon: Re-watch thousands cross the finish line
Bill Laytner
The 44th annual Detroit Free Press Marathon has begun!
The first wave of thousands of marathon and half marathon entrants dashed away from the starting line on downtown Detroit’s Fort Street west of Cass Avenue at 7 a.m.
Keep tabs of all the action at the start/finish line with our live feed on Twitch.
After canceling the in-person race last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Free Press brought its famous races back — including Saturday’s 5K, 1-mile race and Kids Fun Run, and Sunday’s 26.2-mile marathon, 13.1-mile half marathon and 5-person marathon relay.
[ Keep track of your runner and their time with our live tracking ]
With a temperature at the start in the upper 40s, heading for the upper 50s by 11 a.m., and bright sunshine predicted, the return of Detroit’s famed marathon is set to have perfect weather for the runners as well as for the spectators cramming Fort Street’s sidewalks along the course’s final ¼ mile.
WOMEN'S WINNER:Ex-Michigan runner Becca Addison first American to win since 2014
MEN'S WINNER:Armada's Ryan Corby first Michigander men's winner since 2016
DISABILITIES WINNER:Rochester Hills' Matt Tingley wins thrilling handcycle race
For the third time in the 44 years of the Free Press marathon, the event will be run solely in Detroit. Travel restrictions between Canada and the United States made it necessary to keep the races in Detroit. But that gave the chance to showcase more of the Motor City, race officials said.
The 2021 route will continue to use a combined start and finish line on Fort Street, heading north with a route that passes by the Motown Museum, then go through the historic Boston-Edison neighborhood and the new development of District Detroit.
ALL THE INFO:What you need to know about this year's Detroit Free Press Marathon
Veteran full marathon runners will recognize much of the remaining course, which, as usual, runs through Indian Village, around Belle Isle and along the Detroit RiverWalk, giving runners gorgeous views of the Detroit River and Windsor, Ontario.
“So we are confident this will be a race to remember,” Free Press sports editor Kirkland Crawford said.
Follow along with us as we watch thousands cross the finish line by using #freepmarathon on social media.