Free Press Marathon: Everything you need to know

When a week from today, under the cover of darkness, a small army of runners, walkers, wheelers and handcyclists descends on downtown Detroit for the 38th Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon, each of these foot soldiers will bring along a story, a personal journey that has carried him or her to the starting line and, with determination and maybe luck, the finish line.

The small army will be around 28,000 strong, another record field in an event that has exploded in popularity this century. In 2000, 3,588 runners signed up for a long-distance challenge; with two days left in registration for the U.S.-only half marathon, the 5K and the kids fun run, the field already has surpassed last year's record total of 27,396.

Some run for adrenaline, some run for fitness, some run for camaraderie, some run to honor a fallen loved one, some run to celebrate an accomplishment, such as leaving behind life as a couch potato or slaying the devil of cancer, and some run to prove that turning 40 (or 50 or 60) is only the start of something greater.

Yes, every runner has a unique story. But every runner for the Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon should have two things in common: a strong training base and a well-devised plan to navigate the logistics of a big-time, big-city event.

Too often, runners spend months and months on the former but almost no time on the latter. That makes no sense (although many runners at last year's Health & Fitness Expo laughed at the RUseeN shirt with this on the back: "If you're behind me, you didn't train either.").

Here are a few numbers to consider besides 26.2 and 13.1: Before 6 a.m. next Sunday — in the dark! — 25,000-plus runners, 3,000 volunteers and thousands more family members and friends of runners will hunt for parking, the gear drop, the Porta John with the shortest line, the proper starting corral, the perfect viewing place and so on.

And for the first time in a half-dozen years the start-finish line, the gear drop area, the afterparty locale and more have moved — only a few blocks, but if you have run this decade, things aren't precisely where you remember them.

So don't neglect a driving, parking and meeting plan of attack for next weekend. Step 1: Read this marathon primer. Step 2: Go to freepmarathon.com for detailed maps. Step 3: Enjoy that heavy medal placed around your neck a week from today.

What's new?

The start-finish line is two-tenths of a mile closer to the heart of downtown. Since 2009, race organizers have used the same start-finish line — at Fort and Second, next to the Free Press building. But a week after last fall's event, the Free Press moved its offices four blocks east on Fort to the historic Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago building.

The new start-finish line splits the difference between the locales. It is at Fort and Cass, two blocks east of the Free Press' former offices and two blocks west of its new offices. On one side of the street is the old Detroit Club, a four-story brick and stone building; on the other is the Fort Washington Plaza, a 16-story glass and concrete building.

The new line will be used for the start and finish of the marathon, the international half marathon and the five-person marathon relay, plus the finish of the U.S. only half-marathon.

The change to the start-finish line leads to a series of other relatively minor course changes. The course follows its traditional western path on Fort to the Ambassador Bridge. The distance to the bridge is two-tenths of a mile farther than past years. In fact, all the points on the course are two-tenths farther than last year (except the finish line, of course).

The marathon course makes its final turn north from Larned to Fort on Griswold Street instead of Washington Boulevard. The marathon and half-marathon courses still separate at Griswold and Fort.

The starting line for the U.S.-only half marathon moves 11/2 blocks west and closer to downtown. It moves from Congress and Randolph to Congress near Bates.

The finish-line chute has been shortened from two blocks to one. After finishing, runners will walk for a block and then turn north on First Street, where the postrace amenities await. The Conquered: Afterparty is another block away, on Lafayette between Cass and Washington. (Beer sales start at 9 a.m.!)

The gear check area can be found on the Conquered footprint. (Drifter Coffee opens at 6 a.m.!)

Where to park?

With thousands of runners, volunteers and spectators rushing downtown in the dark, life can turn into a mad dash to the start. And next Sunday will be another perfect storm for parking issues: The Lions play the Bears at 1 p.m. at Ford Field. That means parking lots that would have welcomed runners (and for only a couple bucks) have been guaranteed to Lions tailgaters or will raise rates.

Runners should try to get downtown by 5:30 a.m., or 90 minutes before the starting gun. Many streets start to close by 6 a.m. Most lots open by 5 a.m., which also is when the People Mover will start operating. Its closest open stations to the start area are Michigan Avenue, Cobo Center and Financial District; the Fort/Cass station, right next to the start-finish area, will be closed because, well, it's right in the middle of the congested start-finish area.

The Lodge again will be closed south of I-75 starting in the wee hours. That means exits for Bagley and Howard — once traditional traffic magnets — and Jefferson will be closed. That means traffic will back up because of the runners who didn't read this and are freaked out because the Lodge isn't open.

Race organizers recommend parking outside the course route to ease congestion before the races and to provide an easier exit afterward. Detailed maps can be found under the Parking tab at the race website (freepmarathon.com).

Now you know

■The colors: Plenty of light blue, darker blue, orange and yellow running shirts will dot the landscape as they raise more than a $1 million for charities. Kensington Church, a mega-church with several locations, has 1,200 runners — they wear light blue — raising money for wells for the Pokot people in Kenya. NorthRidge Church in Plymouth has 500 runners — they wear a darker blue — raising money to fight human trafficking. Team World Vision, which draws runners from churches across the region, has 300 runners — they wear orange — raising money for clean water in Africa. Woodside Bible Church in Troy has 200 runners — they wear yellow — raising money for orphans in Thailand.

■Only in Detroit (and Windsor): The Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon is the only one in North America that includes two international border crossings (thanks to the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel) and has the only underwater crossing in distance racing. The view on the course includes the Detroit River for about half the 26.2 miles.

■The honors: For the fifth consecutive year, Marathon & Beyond magazine has selected the finisher medal from the Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon as one of the top 25 for North American marathons. That's but one of the many accolades that has come recently for Detroit's marathon. Last year, it won the Governor's Fitness Award, in the category of Extraordinary Event/Organization. Competitor magazine has listed the Underwater Mile among its Top 26 Most Memorable Miles. Rodale Publishing (parent of Runner's World magazine) has selected Detroit as one of the its 10 best events for first-time marathoners.

■The concerns: Because of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, races across the country continue to operate under heightened security. In Detroit, for instance, runners must use clear plastic bags — which will be provided — for gear they want to check. Backpacks and duffel bags will be subject to search by security and police. Backpacks cannot be stuffed in the plastic bags.

■A little help: Volunteers still are needed for a host of jobs at the Health & Fitness Expo at Cobo Center and on the race days. Interested? Go to freepmarathon.com/volunteer. Among the perks: a T-shirt, a collectible medal pin, smiles from runners and an invite to a Nov. 4 thank-you party at Punch Bowl Social in downtown Detroit.

■Heart of the sunrise: Detroit's marathon has exploded in popularity for many reasons. One highlight — if the Running Gods cooperate, which they have this century — is the breathtaking view on the Ambassador Bridge of the sun rising over the Windsor skyline. Sunrise comes next Sunday at 7:48 a.m.

Contact Gene Myers: gmyers@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genemyers.

Track your runner

Want to keep tabs on your favorite runner Sunday?

Well, it's easy if you've downloaded the Detroit Free Press app. On race day, you will see the Track Your Runner link there. The app is free and available for Apple and Android devices.

Be smart: If you intend to do your tracking from along the racecourse in Detroit, download the app before the event. Because of the large volume of cellular usage in downtown, you might experience delays in using this service.

Going the distance

What: 38th Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon.

When: 6:58 a.m. next Sunday.

Where: Streets of Detroit and Windsor. Marathon starts and ends downtown on Fort near Cass.

Races and sponsors: Marathon, Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Half Marathons (international and U.S.-only), five-person marathon relay, American Home Fitness 5K, Meijer Kids Fun Run (0.85 of a mile).

Schedule:Saturday, 9 a.m. — 5K (start on Atwater at St. Aubin near the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center; finish at the center). 10:30 a.m. — Kids fun run (start and finish at the DNR center). Sunday, 6:58 a.m. — MPVA Disabilities Division. 7 a.m. — Marathon, international half marathon, five-person relay (wave start in which 15 groups go off in two-minute intervals). 10:30 a.m. — U.S.-only half marathon (start on Congress near Bates).

Afterparty: Conquered, on Lafayette between Cass and Washington (one block north from finish), 8 a.m.-2 p.m. No charge. Open to all entrants and the general public. Music, food trucks, games and massage tent. Official race merchandise tent. Beer sales start at 9 a.m. The food trucks include Chicken Coupe, Hero or Villain and Saucy Joe's Italian.

Gear check: Same location as Conquered. It opens at 5:30 a.m.

Field: It will surpass last year's record of 27,396 registered runners, walkers, wheelers and handcyclists. In 2000, the event drew 3,588 participants.

Weather:Saturday — The National Weather Service predicts race-time temperatures around 35 degrees under partly cloudy skies with winds from the northwest at around 10 m.p.h. Less than a 20% chance of rain. Sunday — The National Weather Service predicts a wonderful sunny fall day with a high of 52. However, the temperature should be a brisk 36 degrees or so at the start of the race, clearing 40 around 10 a.m. and 45 around noon. Winds from the northwest at 10-13 m.p.h. Less than a 5% chance of rain.

Information: Click on freepmarathon.com. Follow the latest updates on the race's Facebook page and through Twitter.

The warm-up lap

What: Health & Fitness Expo, home for runner packet pickup and featuring scores of exhibitors with the latest in running apparel, footwear, technology and nutrition.

When: 2-8 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday.

Where: Cobo Center, downtown Detroit.

Admission: Free.

Packet pickup: For Sunday's races — All packets must be picked up at the expo. Race-day pickup is not available. You need to know your bib number (or will need to find it on the computers at the expo). All entrants who will cross the U.S.-Canada border must pick up their own race packets for security reasons. If crossing the border — that's everybody in the marathon, international half marathon and relay legs Nos. 1 and 2 — you cannot pick up your race packet without a passport, passport card or enhanced driver's license. Runners for the U.S.-only half and relay legs Nos. 3-5 need only photo identification. A runner who does not cross the border can have someone pick up a packet, if that person provides a copy of the runner's confirmation e-mail. For Saturday's races — Race packets can be picked up Friday at Cobo Center or Saturday at Milliken State Park on the RiverWalk from 7-8:45 a.m. Packets can be picked up by a person other than the runner provided he or she has a copy of the runner's confirmation e-mail.

You still can run ...

Registration for the races in the 38th Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank that cross the U.S.-Canada border closed in late August. However, registration continues until 11:59 p.m. Monday for the U.S.-only half marathon, the 5K and the kids fun run. The U.S.-only half will be next Sunday, the 5K and kids run Saturday. To register, go to freepmarathon.com.