When you think of doing a race in December in Chicago, you picture yourself running in an ugly holiday sweater along a snowy trail in the freezing cold. This race was just the opposite- sixty degrees, slightly rainy and muddy!

Because the course was on a dirty path for about 75% of the race, there were lots of puddles and mud. Had it been typical Chicago weather, it would have been easier to navigate. While I didn't stop at any aid stations, they appeared well stocked and well-placed. The scenery along the course was nothing special. We ran along the lakefront trail with partial view of the skyline, but mostly it was apartment buildings, trees, and the Lincoln Park Zoo.

The organization was really well done. It's one of Fleet Feet's races, so packet pickup was held at one of their stores. They also offered the option of choosing the color of the beanie hat (the race swag), which I appreciated. At the start/finish the gear check was easy to manage, and the sponsors of the race provided free coffee, donuts, and apple cider. Santa made an appearance for some post-race pictures too.

They handed out awards for the top three male and female finishers (third place was a gingerbread house mix, I'm not sure what the second or first were). For the top three finishers in each age group they also gave out prizes. Unbeknownst to me I finished in the top three so later in the week I received a reindeer cookie cutter and spice mix to make holiday cookies. It was pretty cute and fit well with their Rudolph theme.

Overall the race was a good option for a winter race, and a fun one to do with friends.

Putting aside my feelings about the weather that day (snow flurries- after the hot summer/fall the Midwest had I was not mentally or physically prepared for cold weather running), and the fact that I hit the wall pretty hard, the Detroit Free Press Marathon was just an average race.

Pros:
- Running into Canada, it's unique
- Long sleeve tech shirt
- Expo: While it was small, there was a variety of vendors. One had a fun photo booth with a free print off of your goofy pictures. They set it up so you had to weave through the whole thing- while some people hate this I liked getting to see all the vendors.

Con:
- Sparse fans outside of downtown Detroit and Canada
- You run the first ~40 minutes of the race before the sun rises. The ~2 mile stretch along the main road is done in the dark and the street is VERY poorly lit. Lots of people were bumping into each other and tripping, plus the road isn't well maintained so in addition to watching out for people you have to look down and watch for uneven pavement.
- They have photographers perched 50 yards in front of the start on an overhang so they can get pictures of everyone starting. HOWEVER they are shining floodlights right in the runners' eyes. Runners are blinded and then plunged into darkness as they start the race. Very disorienting.
- The course is ok, but pretty boring. (Mile by mile recap http://rabbitfoodrunner.com/race-report-detroit-free-press-marathon/)

Overall, I wouldn't recommend it for a fall race. There are much better options.

The expo was fun- it was held outside in the Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago. There were lots of vendors with awesome free giveaways, and Fleet Feet had merchandise on sale. The actual race shirt is kind of hideous- a white t-shirt with BIG BOLD writing "Run Mag Mile" all down the front in caps. I guess they were looking for free advertising from all the female participants?

It touts itself as the Mag Mile race, but only about 2 miles of the course was actually on Michigan, everything else was along the lake. It felt like any regular Saturday long run for me, so I wasn't too impressed.

The aid stations were really prepared though, especially because the race took place on the hottest day of the year. They had extra water and added spray hoses and cool towels for the participants.

While it's nice to see how I compare to the other female runners in Chicago, I probably won't do it again unless I have a free or discounted entry. More detailed post here: http://tinyurl.com/ps9bz68