Detroit Free Press Marathon training plan: course, start dates, and plan options
Detroit, MIOctober 17, 2027
The Detroit Free Press Marathon requires a passport. About two miles in you climb onto the Ambassador Bridge into Canada, run the Windsor riverfront, then come back to the United States underneath the river through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Border documents go on the packing list alongside your shoes.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Underneath the international theater, this is a flat race. The course gains 388 feet and loses 397 across the whole 26.2, a net drop of nine feet. That combination, one novelty climb early and then almost nothing, sets a specific trap: the bridge tempts you into an effort spike in mile two, and the rest of the course gives you nothing to recover on.
388 days to race day
Detroit Free Press Marathon · October 17, 2027 · about 55 weeks out
Your plan starts with your race and works backward. Every week lands on a real calendar, with race day at the end.
When to start training for the Detroit Free Press Marathon 2027
Race day is October 17, 2027, which is 388 days from today. Counting back from that date, here is when each length of build starts.
- 30-week buildStart March 21, 2027
- 24-week buildStart May 2, 2027
- 18-week buildStart June 13, 2027
- 16-week buildStart June 27, 2027
- 12-week buildshortest Stride acceptsStart July 25, 2027
You have about 55 weeks until race day, so there is still room for a full build. Stride reads the runway you actually have and maps every week from today to October 17, 2027.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Detroit Free Press Marathon course facts
- Course
- Loop · Mostly Flat · Road/Pavement
- Elevation gain / loss
- 388 ft gain, 397 ft loss
- Highest / lowest point
- 740 ft / 538 ft
- Marathon finishers
- 3,569 in 2025 (large field)
- Boston qualifier
- Certified Boston qualifying course
- Finishers running a qualifying time
- 3.4% in 2025
- Typical race morning
- 47°F at the start, 79% humidity, clear
- Race day high / low
- 58°F / 44°F on average
Let’s find the plan for you.
Your race, current mileage, longest run, marathon experience, and available days decide the best fit. Stride maps the plan you choose to race day at the Detroit Free Press Marathon.
- Stride Run-Walk FinisherThree sessions a week with planned walk breaks, cover the full distance before race day.
- Stride First MarathonThe classic four-day first-marathon build: easy running and one weekly long run, no speedwork.
- Stride First Marathon PlusA first-marathon build with a little more volume and weekly race-pace miles.
- Stride 6-Day FinisherFinish your first marathon on frequency: six easy-leaning runs a week, no monster long runs.
- Stride 5-Day Pace BuilderFive days a week with race-pace runs before your long runs, built for a mid-pack time goal.
- Stride 6-Day RhythmSix days a week with three quality sessions, steady fatigue that teaches you to finish strong.
- Stride Time-Based FoundationFive time-based runs a week, mostly easy, the injury-averse way to a strong finish.
- Stride Time-Based BuilderSix time-based runs a week at a strict 80% easy / 20% hard split, chase a time goal without breaking.
- Stride 3-Day Cross-TrainThree runs plus two cross-training days over 24 weeks, marathon fitness on a busy schedule.
- Stride 3-Day QualityExactly three hard runs plus two mandatory cross-training sessions, every workout counts.
- Stride 6-Day CumulativeThe six-day cumulative-fatigue build with quality from week two, for PR chasers with a base.
- Stride Threshold 55The serious BQ/PR build to 55 miles a week: threshold work, medium-long runs, and 20-milers.
- Stride Threshold 70The high-mileage BQ/PR build to 70 miles a week for veterans with a deep base.
- Stride 2-Quality FlexTwo fixed quality sessions a week, everything else flexible easy running, fits any schedule.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Choose your Detroit Free Press Marathon training window.
Compare 12, 16, 18, and 20 weeks counted back from race day. The 18-week option includes the complete four-day schedule.
The course: a bridge at mile two, a tunnel back, and 388 feet of climbing total
The Detroit Free Press Marathon starts at 7:00 a.m. on Fort Street and reaches the Ambassador Bridge entrance about two miles in, where the race warns that the crossing is narrow and gets congested. After the Windsor riverfront, runners return to Detroit through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, which closes to traffic from roughly 6:15 to 10:30 a.m. on race day.
From there it's Detroit: Woodbridge, the District Detroit, Eastern Market, the Dequindre Cut greenway, and a finish at the foot of Campus Martius. The whole route sits between 538 and 740 feet, and total climbing is 388 feet, which is less than plenty of runners cover on a routine weekday loop at home.
GPS is unreliable underground. Watches drop signal in the tunnel and pick it back up on the Detroit side, so the split you see when you surface will be nonsense. That's a known feature of the race, not a malfunction.
How to train for the Detroit Free Press Marathon
Two Detroit specific sessions matter. First, put a climb in the first fifteen minutes of some long runs, so the Ambassador Bridge at mile two doesn't cost you an effort spike that you pay for at mile 22. Second, practice running a full mile purely by feel, because your watch goes dark in the tunnel.
The rest is even pacing work on flat ground. With a net change of nine feet across the marathon there's no terrain to recover on and no descent to bank. Long runs at goal pace finished with a negative split teach the exact skill this course rewards.
Plan for a slow patch on the bridge itself. The race asks runners not to stop for photos and it still bunches up, so budget a few seconds there and resist the urge to make them back over the following mile.
Getting in
You need travel documents. Every marathon runner crosses into Canada, which means a valid passport, a WHTI compliant document, or an enhanced driver's license from Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont or Washington. The race also warns that a criminal conviction, including an OWI or DUI, can make you inadmissible to Canada without a special permit. Sort that out before you register, not after.
Where does the Detroit Free Press Marathon get hard?
There's no famous wall here. The race gets hard after mile 20, when a course with only 388 feet of total climb stops offering any change of rhythm and you have to hold a single effort all the way to Campus Martius.
What is the weather like at the Detroit Free Press Marathon?
Mid October in Detroit is close to ideal for racing: a typical start near 47F with humidity around 79%, an average high of 58F, and a light southwesterly. The problem isn't the running, it's the waiting. You'll be standing near the river at dawn in the high 40s, so bring throwaway layers and do a few long runs in cold morning air so your first three miles don't start hot just to warm up.
Is the Detroit Free Press Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Detroit is a certified Boston qualifier with a net drop of nine feet, so no downhill adjustment comes into play. Qualifying is harder than the flat profile suggests: 3.4% of finishers ran qualifying times in 2025 and 5.7% did in 2024, down from 8.2% in 2021 as the field grew from 1,976 finishers to 3,569.
Is the Detroit Free Press Marathon a good first marathon?
Detroit is a strong first marathon if the border logistics don't scare you. The 6.5 hour limit is generous, the field of 3,569 finishers in 2025 means company the whole way, and the flat profile is forgiving. The thing that catches first timers is the passport requirement, which has to be handled months ahead rather than in race week.
Detroit Free Press Marathon questions, answered.
Do you need a passport for the Detroit Free Press Marathon?
Yes. The marathon crosses into Canada, so every runner needs a valid passport, a WHTI compliant document, or an enhanced driver's license from Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont or Washington. The race also warns that past convictions including OWI or DUI can make a runner inadmissible to Canada without a special permit.
Is the Detroit Free Press Marathon flat?
Yes. The course gains 388 feet and loses 397 across 26.2 miles, a net drop of nine feet, with everything between 538 and 740 feet of elevation. The only meaningful climb is the Ambassador Bridge about two miles in. After that the race becomes an exercise in holding one steady effort.
What is the tunnel mile like at the Detroit Free Press Marathon?
You come back into the United States through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, which closes to traffic from about 6:15 to 10:30 a.m. on race day. GPS watches lose signal underground and reacquire afterward, so the split you see will be wrong. Run that stretch by feel and ignore the numbers.
Is Detroit a good marathon to qualify for Boston?
It's certified and eligible, with a nine foot net drop that triggers no downhill adjustment. But 3.4% of 2025 finishers ran qualifying times, down from 8.2% in 2021. Bridge congestion at mile two and a cold, still start both cost time. Call it a fair qualifier rather than a fast one.
Where does the Detroit Free Press Marathon get hard?
There's no famous wall here. The race gets hard after mile 20, when a course with only 388 feet of total climb stops offering any change of rhythm and you have to hold a single effort all the way to Campus Martius.
What is the weather like at the Detroit Free Press Marathon?
Mid October in Detroit is close to ideal for racing: a typical start near 47F with humidity around 79%, an average high of 58F, and a light southwesterly. The problem isn't the running, it's the waiting. You'll be standing near the river at dawn in the high 40s, so bring throwaway layers and do a few long runs in cold morning air so your first three miles don't start hot just to warm up.
Is the Detroit Free Press Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Detroit is a certified Boston qualifier with a net drop of nine feet, so no downhill adjustment comes into play. Qualifying is harder than the flat profile suggests: 3.4% of finishers ran qualifying times in 2025 and 5.7% did in 2024, down from 8.2% in 2021 as the field grew from 1,976 finishers to 3,569.
Is the Detroit Free Press Marathon a good first marathon?
Detroit is a strong first marathon if the border logistics don't scare you. The 6.5 hour limit is generous, the field of 3,569 finishers in 2025 means company the whole way, and the flat profile is forgiving. The thing that catches first timers is the passport requirement, which has to be handled months ahead rather than in race week.
When should I start training for the Detroit Free Press Marathon 2027?
Race day is October 17, 2027. Counting back from that date, a 20-week build starts around May 30, 2027, a 16-week build around June 27, 2027, and a 12-week build around July 25, 2027. Already inside that window? Stride maps a plan from today to race day, whatever the runway.
How does Stride's Detroit Free Press Marathon plan work?
Download the app, pick the Detroit Free Press Marathon as your race, and answer a few questions about your recent running and your weekly schedule. Stride matches you to one of 14 marathon plans, maps every week from today to October 17, 2027, adjusts when life gets in the way, and puts you in a feed of runners training for the same race.
Choosing a training app?
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Find your plan.
Your race, current mileage, recent longest run, goal, and run days determine which plans rank first. Choose one and subscribe, then open every workout in Stride.