Liza's Detroit Half Marathon

Detroit International Half Marathon

Liza’s race report – October 20th, 2013

Not long after I moved to Canada, I started looking around at possible longer runs and came across the Detroit International HM, which I decided to register for as it has international appeal.  It’s a half marathon that is run through the streets of Canada and the USA!  I thought that was pretty unique and a once in a lifetime opportunity for an aussie girl like me.  

The race starts in downtown Detroit and traverses through Windsor (Ontario, Canada) and has two border crossings – one across the Ambassador Bridge and the other through a tunnel – which they call the ‘underwater mile’.   The only downside to the race is the fact that you have to carry your passport the entire way through the run, mainly for security measures.  We drove across the border the day before (always a drama for aussies to cross into the USA) and it was raining and cold – so I was hoping for the weather to clear up.  

Luck was on my side and I woke to a glorious clear day with a crisp temperature of 4 degrees – perfect weather for racing.  The event started right before 7am – nearly an hour before sunrise – with handcyclists and wheelchair racers heading out. For the next half-hour, 15 waves of runners – sent off two minutes apart – were slated to begin the marathon, half marathon and five-person relay.  I was in the first wave of runners and had a clear run across the start line – what a buzz it was!  A total of 27,000 runners took part on the day and the atmosphere was amazing.  The streets were lined with huge crowds cheering us on and there was plenty of support on both the USA and Canadian side.  Kim and some Canadian friends were there on the other side of the bridge to cheer me on – that was really uplifting for me.

I felt very strong on the day and finished my half marathon in a fine time of 1.42.06, which I am pleased with.  It was an absolute thrill to run through two countries and this race would go down as the most memorable runs in my life.

Liza J