detroit marathon

Free Press marathon strides into its third decade
October 20, 2007

BY CECILIA OLECK

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

The idea was either crazy or visionary: Create a course through two countries, make it 26.2 miles long and invite people to run the distance. It must have been prescient because 1,942 runners took up the offer in 1978 and now, 29 years later, the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon draws more than 15,000 runners, hand-cyclists and wheelchair racers to downtown Detroit and Windsor. Sunday is the marathon's 30th running. This year, just as in each of the previous 29 races, there will be runners both high-profile and not, seasoned veterans and nervous first-timers. They all have a common goal: getting to the finish line. In tribute to them and to the marathon's longevity, here are 30 things about the marathon.

The race

1 Detroit's marathon is just a youngun compared with the nation's oldest -- the Boston Marathon, which turned 111 this year.

Advertisement


2 The Detroit-Windsor marathon claims the world's only underwater international mile, inside the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.

3 Everyone who completes one of the races receives a medal.

4 It cost $10 to enter the race in 1986. Now the entry fee ranges from $70 to $125.

5 Timing chips were first used in 1998.

6 The top male and female finishers each win $5,000. If the top finisher breaks the course record (2 hours 13 minutes 7 seconds for men or 2 hours 34 minutes 16 seconds for women), he or she will win an additional $5,000.

7 In 1984, the marathon was run the same day the Detroit Tigers won the World Series.

The Course

8 The marathon's original starting line was in Windsor.

9 The first marathon ended on Belle Isle.

10 1999 was the first year the route included the Ambassador Bridge.

11 The marathon has been run completely on American soil just twice -- in 1993, due to construction and in 2001, due to heightened border security after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

12 This year's race has a new finish line at Campus Martius Park after five years of ending inside Ford Field.

Record-holders

13 The youngest person to complete the marathon was Macomb Township's Adam Rose, a handcycler who was 12 years old in 2006.

14 The oldest person to cross the finish line was local running legend Jim Ramsey. He was 90 when he completed the race in 1998.

15 Greg Meyer, a Grand Rapids native, set the men's course record in 1980.

16 Russian runner Elena Orlova ran the fastest women's time in 2004.

17 Seth Arseneau, a Grand Rapids native, set the course record for the fastest men's hand-cycling time. In 2003, he finished in 1 hour 17 minutes 26 seconds.

18 Six men have run all 29 Free Press marathons and are expected to run in Sunday's 30th.

The runners

19 You never know what you'll see during the marathon. Runners in tuxedos, superhero costumes or running backward have all been spotted.

20 She's never gone the distance, but Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a native of Canada, plans to run as part of a 5-person relay, dubbed Team Granholm.

21 Don't expect to see Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick doing the same. Last year, after Granholm pledged to run in 2007, Kilpatrick joked to the crowd: "I'm going to say right here: Next year I am not going to run the marathon."

22 Patricia Ball, the marathon's director since 2001, first ran in it in 1982. She remembers being near the back of the pack. "Someone had to be last," Ball said with a laugh.

23 Most of those who participate in the marathon don't actually run the whole thing -- they run or walk the half-marathon, run a leg of the 5-person relay or do the 5K.

The why

24 Many of those running the marathon do it to celebrate losing weight, overcoming disease or in memory of someone who died.

25 Since 1982, the Free Press has partnered with the Michigan Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to raise money. Now, runners are able to partner with and raise pledges for other charities through the marathon's Run for a Reason program.

26 Some runners use the Free Press Marathon to qualify for Boston. Often they are helped by pacers, runners provided by marathon organizers to keep consistent mile-times.

27 This year, the marathon is providing pacers for women who want to make it to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which will be held at the Boston Marathon in April. The time to beat is 2 hours 47 minutes.

Sideline support

28 In 2000, the race added spirit stations along the course, spots where volunteers gather to shout encouragement to runners.

29 It's not just about running -- it's about the entertainment, too. High school marching bands, jazz and rock groups and Motown musicians will be spaced along the course to give runners boosts of energy.

30 From 2001-2004, runners could count on party-hearty Indian Village residents handing out free beer between miles 21 and 23.
The idea to run in today's Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon crept into Cree Thompson's head last year.

She had just completed the five-person relay, when she noticed something.

Advertisement


She received this small medal, while the marathon finishers got bigger medals.

"The medals were real huge," Thompson said recently at a downtown coney restaurant. "I wanted one of those. My dad laughs at me, but I was serious. So I decided I wanted to do the marathon."

So the Detroit Southeastern senior started training to run the 26.2 miles of the marathon.

And along the way, she decided to use her hard work for a good cause. Thompson is running the marathon to raise money for her college fund and also to make a donation to Darfur relief.

She has already received donations and plans to give most of it to help the troubled region of the African nation of Sudan.

She got the idea when she saw a documentary on TV and then she researched it on the Internet. She also read a book about the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s.

"I felt bad and I wanted to give back to my homeland," she said.

Thompson's social awareness comes from her parents, Erik and Lynn.

Erik Thompson, who is also her trainer, wasn't surprised to hear about his daughter's decision.

"I tell my kids to read the newspaper every day," said Erik Thompson, who has seven kids. "I read three newspapers a day. I get different perspectives.

"With this hip-hop generation, they feel as though they are being attacked. I feel they are in a position of power and greatness they haven't touched into yet."

Erik Thompson's view is that comparing the lives we live to others in the world should make us realize how good we have it.

"If you were to trade places with someone in Darfur, Rwanda or even someone in Iraq, you would quickly realize the benefits and the opportunities you have to succeed," Erik Thompson said. "So before you start (complaining) about the 'system' and 'the man,' understand you have the power."

Then he chuckled: "She's a socially conscious sister. I ain't got no problem with it."

But there are times his pride turns to frustration when training his daughter.

Their workouts begin at 5 a.m. and, as you might guess, she isn't exactly hopping out of the bed most mornings.

In fact, she admits to scheming to try to keep her dad up at night so he will be tempted to sleep later.

It doesn't work.

"I would pray before I went to bed, 'Please don't let this man get up at 5 o'clock.' He gets up every time," Cree Thompson said.

Then there are the workouts.

They average 6 to 9 miles every morning. Cree Thompson, who also runs for the Southeastern cross-country and track teams, works out in the afternoon when she doesn't have cross-country practice. That consists of either bike work or another six miles of running.

Her dad has trained her at Belle Isle, where she runs in the deep water, then gets on the beach surface for more running.

Then there are pool workouts and weight training.

"There have been times when I've said, 'Screw it, I ain't working with you no more.' And she goes yelling for her mom," Erik Thompson said. "She has saved her a couple of times."

But the results are obvious. She has run 25 miles without stopping, saving the complete distance for today.

"She's gotten dramatic results from the workouts," Erik Thompson said. "Even the coaches and the players on the team are like, 'Is she juicing?' "

And when she finishes today's marathon, Erik Thompson believes his daughter will be able to do anything.

"When she finishes, it's going to open her up to where she can do anything." Erik Thompson said. "That's 26.2 miles. That's not 2.1 miles; that's not five; that's close to 30 miles.

"I'm very proud of her. She's worked very hard."
What: 30th Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon presented by WDIV Local 4, a 26.2-mile footrace with more than $35,000 in prize money.

When: 7:10 a.m. today.

Advertisement


Where: The streets of Detroit and Windsor. Starts on Washington Boulevard near Grand River Avenue. Ends at Campus Martius Park.

Field: More than 16,000 (record is 15,761 last year). No race-day registration.

Other races: A half marathon, Kar's Nuts Team Relay, Armada Oil & Gas 5K Fun Run, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Red Nose/Kids Mini-Marathon (a 5K event for children 14 and younger).

Schedule: 6:45 a.m. -- Opening ceremonies. 7:10 a.m. -- Wheelchair racers and handcyclists. 7:15 a.m. -- Marathon, half marathon and relay runners and walkers. 7:45 a.m. -- 5K run/walk and kids 5K participants.

Notables: World-record holder Haile Gebrselassie (partial); Gov. Jennifer Granholm, (relay team); first gentleman Dan Mulhern, (half); Frazz comic strip creator Jef Mallett, and DJ Spudd (half).

MARATHON MEMORIES

The Free Press has published a new book celebrating 30 years of the marathon.

? "Long Run" is 128 pages, filled with stories and color photos. It's $14.95. Sporting a sharp-looking striped suit and his typical wide smile, outside the Detroit Marriott ballroom Saturday night, Haile Gebrselassie stepped aside from the throng of dinner attendees to talk about a pair of shoes special to him.

"The 10,000 meters in Atlanta in 1996," the 34-year-old Ethiopian running star said. "It was the first gold medal I won."

Advertisement


Gebrselassie was talking about a pair of blue Adidas spikes. Aside from the 1996 Olympics, Gebrselassie also won gold in the 10,000 meters at the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, and 1997 World Championships in Athens, Greece, wearing those shoes.

"These are historical shoes," he noted.

And, to the surprise of many, he handed them over Saturday evening, autographed.

Gebrselassie arrived in Detroit on Saturday afternoon to be an honorary cochair at the Faces of Ethiopia reception. The fund-raising dinner, which was expected to be attended by several hundred people was held by the Ethiopian North American Health Professionals Association (ENAHPA).

ENAHPA performs medical missions in the African nation, which is in the midst of a healthcare crisis and has one physician per 40,000 people, according to the World Health Organization. (In the United States, it's one physician per 330 people.)

Today, after he starts and runs a portion of the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon, Gebrselassie will be on hand at the Hard Rock Café on Monroe Street in downtown Detroit when the shoes are auctioned.

Bidding starts at 10:45 a.m., with a minimum bid of $7,500, and all proceeds go to ENAHPA.

"These people, what they're doing, I have to do something as well," Gebrselassie said of ENAHPA members, including friend and organization founder and president Dr. Ingida Asfaw of Detroit. "This is something I support. This is something very special for the people of my country. That's why I am so happy to offer these shoes."

The so-called historical shoes were worn during the earlier days of Gebrselassie's career ascent, even though they're still in usable condition.

Since then, Gebrselassie has won several more World Championships medals in the 10,000 meters, another Olympics gold in the 10,000 meters (2000 in Sydney) and set a world record for fastest marathon finish (2 hours, 4 minutes and 26 seconds in Berlin on Sept. 30). Now, he is considered by many to be the greatest distance runner ever.

He said he'll go about 10 miles at the Free Press Marathon, or his usual light Sunday running. He's training for his next marathon, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in January, and ultimately the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

But for his short stay in Detroit, from Saturday until Monday morning, he's not thinking about his athletic career.

In Ethiopia, it is estimated that the AIDS epidemic has created a million orphans, according to ENHPA, and AIDS isn't even among the top three fatal diseases in the country.

"Many people, they don't even have a chance to survive. It's a very complicated problem," Gebrselassie said. "Dr. Ingida, for us, is an icon. I've always appreciated what Dr. Ingida is doing."

Today, for many at the Free Press Marathon, Gebrselassie is the icon. Free Press marathon strides into its third decade
October 20, 2007

BY CECILIA OLECK

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

The idea was either crazy or visionary: Create a course through two countries, make it 26.2 miles long and invite people to run the distance. It must have been prescient because 1,942 runners took up the offer in 1978 and now, 29 years later, the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon draws more than 15,000 runners, hand-cyclists and wheelchair racers to downtown Detroit and Windsor. Sunday is the marathon's 30th running. This year, just as in each of the previous 29 races, there will be runners both high-profile and not, seasoned veterans and nervous first-timers. They all have a common goal: getting to the finish line. In tribute to them and to the marathon's longevity, here are 30 things about the marathon.

The race

1 Detroit's marathon is just a youngun compared with the nation's oldest -- the Boston Marathon, which turned 111 this year.

Advertisement


2 The Detroit-Windsor marathon claims the world's only underwater international mile, inside the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.

3 Everyone who completes one of the races receives a medal.

4 It cost $10 to enter the race in 1986. Now the entry fee ranges from $70 to $125.

5 Timing chips were first used in 1998.

6 The top male and female finishers each win $5,000. If the top finisher breaks the course record (2 hours 13 minutes 7 seconds for men or 2 hours 34 minutes 16 seconds for women), he or she will win an additional $5,000.

7 In 1984, the marathon was run the same day the Detroit Tigers won the World Series.

The Course

8 The marathon's original starting line was in Windsor.

9 The first marathon ended on Belle Isle.

10 1999 was the first year the route included the Ambassador Bridge.

11 The marathon has been run completely on American soil just twice -- in 1993, due to construction and in 2001, due to heightened border security after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

12 This year's race has a new finish line at Campus Martius Park after five years of ending inside Ford Field.

Record-holders

13 The youngest person to complete the marathon was Macomb Township's Adam Rose, a handcycler who was 12 years old in 2006.

14 The oldest person to cross the finish line was local running legend Jim Ramsey. He was 90 when he completed the race in 1998.

15 Greg Meyer, a Grand Rapids native, set the men's course record in 1980.

16 Russian runner Elena Orlova ran the fastest women's time in 2004.

17 Seth Arseneau, a Grand Rapids native, set the course record for the fastest men's hand-cycling time. In 2003, he finished in 1 hour 17 minutes 26 seconds.

18 Six men have run all 29 Free Press marathons and are expected to run in Sunday's 30th.

The runners

19 You never know what you'll see during the marathon. Runners in tuxedos, superhero costumes or running backward have all been spotted.

20 She's never gone the distance, but Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a native of Canada, plans to run as part of a 5-person relay, dubbed Team Granholm.

21 Don't expect to see Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick doing the same. Last year, after Granholm pledged to run in 2007, Kilpatrick joked to the crowd: "I'm going to say right here: Next year I am not going to run the marathon."

22 Patricia Ball, the marathon's director since 2001, first ran in it in 1982. She remembers being near the back of the pack. "Someone had to be last," Ball said with a laugh.

23 Most of those who participate in the marathon don't actually run the whole thing -- they run or walk the half-marathon, run a leg of the 5-person relay or do the 5K.

The why

24 Many of those running the marathon do it to celebrate losing weight, overcoming disease or in memory of someone who died.

25 Since 1982, the Free Press has partnered with the Michigan Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to raise money. Now, runners are able to partner with and raise pledges for other charities through the marathon's Run for a Reason program.

26 Some runners use the Free Press Marathon to qualify for Boston. Often they are helped by pacers, runners provided by marathon organizers to keep consistent mile-times.

27 This year, the marathon is providing pacers for women who want to make it to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which will be held at the Boston Marathon in April. The time to beat is 2 hours 47 minutes.

Sideline support

28 In 2000, the race added spirit stations along the course, spots where volunteers gather to shout encouragement to runners.

29 It's not just about running -- it's about the entertainment, too. High school marching bands, jazz and rock groups and Motown musicians will be spaced along the course to give runners boosts of energy.

30 From 2001-2004, runners could count on party-hearty Indian Village residents handing out free beer between miles 21 and 23.
The idea to run in today's Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon crept into Cree Thompson's head last year.

She had just completed the five-person relay, when she noticed something.

Advertisement


She received this small medal, while the marathon finishers got bigger medals.

"The medals were real huge," Thompson said recently at a downtown coney restaurant. "I wanted one of those. My dad laughs at me, but I was serious. So I decided I wanted to do the marathon."

So the Detroit Southeastern senior started training to run the 26.2 miles of the marathon.

And along the way, she decided to use her hard work for a good cause. Thompson is running the marathon to raise money for her college fund and also to make a donation to Darfur relief.

She has already received donations and plans to give most of it to help the troubled region of the African nation of Sudan.

She got the idea when she saw a documentary on TV and then she researched it on the Internet. She also read a book about the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s.

"I felt bad and I wanted to give back to my homeland," she said.

Thompson's social awareness comes from her parents, Erik and Lynn.

Erik Thompson, who is also her trainer, wasn't surprised to hear about his daughter's decision.

"I tell my kids to read the newspaper every day," said Erik Thompson, who has seven kids. "I read three newspapers a day. I get different perspectives.

"With this hip-hop generation, they feel as though they are being attacked. I feel they are in a position of power and greatness they haven't touched into yet."

Erik Thompson's view is that comparing the lives we live to others in the world should make us realize how good we have it.

"If you were to trade places with someone in Darfur, Rwanda or even someone in Iraq, you would quickly realize the benefits and the opportunities you have to succeed," Erik Thompson said. "So before you start (complaining) about the 'system' and 'the man,' understand you have the power."

Then he chuckled: "She's a socially conscious sister. I ain't got no problem with it."

But there are times his pride turns to frustration when training his daughter.

Their workouts begin at 5 a.m. and, as you might guess, she isn't exactly hopping out of the bed most mornings.

In fact, she admits to scheming to try to keep her dad up at night so he will be tempted to sleep later.

It doesn't work.

"I would pray before I went to bed, 'Please don't let this man get up at 5 o'clock.' He gets up every time," Cree Thompson said.

Then there are the workouts.

They average 6 to 9 miles every morning. Cree Thompson, who also runs for the Southeastern cross-country and track teams, works out in the afternoon when she doesn't have cross-country practice. That consists of either bike work or another six miles of running.

Her dad has trained her at Belle Isle, where she runs in the deep water, then gets on the beach surface for more running.

Then there are pool workouts and weight training.

"There have been times when I've said, 'Screw it, I ain't working with you no more.' And she goes yelling for her mom," Erik Thompson said. "She has saved her a couple of times."

But the results are obvious. She has run 25 miles without stopping, saving the complete distance for today.

"She's gotten dramatic results from the workouts," Erik Thompson said. "Even the coaches and the players on the team are like, 'Is she juicing?' "

And when she finishes today's marathon, Erik Thompson believes his daughter will be able to do anything.

"When she finishes, it's going to open her up to where she can do anything." Erik Thompson said. "That's 26.2 miles. That's not 2.1 miles; that's not five; that's close to 30 miles.

"I'm very proud of her. She's worked very hard."
What: 30th Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon presented by WDIV Local 4, a 26.2-mile footrace with more than $35,000 in prize money.

When: 7:10 a.m. today.

Advertisement


Where: The streets of Detroit and Windsor. Starts on Washington Boulevard near Grand River Avenue. Ends at Campus Martius Park.

Field: More than 16,000 (record is 15,761 last year). No race-day registration.

Other races: A half marathon, Kar's Nuts Team Relay, Armada Oil & Gas 5K Fun Run, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Red Nose/Kids Mini-Marathon (a 5K event for children 14 and younger).

Schedule: 6:45 a.m. -- Opening ceremonies. 7:10 a.m. -- Wheelchair racers and handcyclists. 7:15 a.m. -- Marathon, half marathon and relay runners and walkers. 7:45 a.m. -- 5K run/walk and kids 5K participants.

Notables: World-record holder Haile Gebrselassie (partial); Gov. Jennifer Granholm, (relay team); first gentleman Dan Mulhern, (half); Frazz comic strip creator Jef Mallett, and DJ Spudd (half).

MARATHON MEMORIES

The Free Press has published a new book celebrating 30 years of the marathon.

? "Long Run" is 128 pages, filled with stories and color photos. It's $14.95. Sporting a sharp-looking striped suit and his typical wide smile, outside the Detroit Marriott ballroom Saturday night, Haile Gebrselassie stepped aside from the throng of dinner attendees to talk about a pair of shoes special to him.

"The 10,000 meters in Atlanta in 1996," the 34-year-old Ethiopian running star said. "It was the first gold medal I won."

Advertisement


Gebrselassie was talking about a pair of blue Adidas spikes. Aside from the 1996 Olympics, Gebrselassie also won gold in the 10,000 meters at the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, and 1997 World Championships in Athens, Greece, wearing those shoes.

"These are historical shoes," he noted.

And, to the surprise of many, he handed them over Saturday evening, autographed.

Gebrselassie arrived in Detroit on Saturday afternoon to be an honorary cochair at the Faces of Ethiopia reception. The fund-raising dinner, which was expected to be attended by several hundred people was held by the Ethiopian North American Health Professionals Association (ENAHPA).

ENAHPA performs medical missions in the African nation, which is in the midst of a healthcare crisis and has one physician per 40,000 people, according to the World Health Organization. (In the United States, it's one physician per 330 people.)

Today, after he starts and runs a portion of the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon, Gebrselassie will be on hand at the Hard Rock Café on Monroe Street in downtown Detroit when the shoes are auctioned.

Bidding starts at 10:45 a.m., with a minimum bid of $7,500, and all proceeds go to ENAHPA.

"These people, what they're doing, I have to do something as well," Gebrselassie said of ENAHPA members, including friend and organization founder and president Dr. Ingida Asfaw of Detroit. "This is something I support. This is something very special for the people of my country. That's why I am so happy to offer these shoes."

The so-called historical shoes were worn during the earlier days of Gebrselassie's career ascent, even though they're still in usable condition.

Since then, Gebrselassie has won several more World Championships medals in the 10,000 meters, another Olympics gold in the 10,000 meters (2000 in Sydney) and set a world record for fastest marathon finish (2 hours, 4 minutes and 26 seconds in Berlin on Sept. 30). Now, he is considered by many to be the greatest distance runner ever.

He said he'll go about 10 miles at the Free Press Marathon, or his usual light Sunday running. He's training for his next marathon, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in January, and ultimately the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

But for his short stay in Detroit, from Saturday until Monday morning, he's not thinking about his athletic career.

In Ethiopia, it is estimated that the AIDS epidemic has created a million orphans, according to ENHPA, and AIDS isn't even among the top three fatal diseases in the country.

"Many people, they don't even have a chance to survive. It's a very complicated problem," Gebrselassie said. "Dr. Ingida, for us, is an icon. I've always appreciated what Dr. Ingida is doing."

Today, for many at the Free Press Marathon, Gebrselassie is the icon.





Free Press marathon strides into its third decade
October 20, 2007

BY CECILIA OLECK

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

The idea was either crazy or visionary: Create a course through two countries, make it 26.2 miles long and invite people to run the distance. It must have been prescient because 1,942 runners took up the offer in 1978 and now, 29 years later, the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon draws more than 15,000 runners, hand-cyclists and wheelchair racers to downtown Detroit and Windsor. Sunday is the marathon's 30th running. This year, just as in each of the previous 29 races, there will be runners both high-profile and not, seasoned veterans and nervous first-timers. They all have a common goal: getting to the finish line. In tribute to them and to the marathon's longevity, here are 30 things about the marathon.

The race

1 Detroit's marathon is just a youngun compared with the nation's oldest -- the Boston Marathon, which turned 111 this year.

Advertisement


2 The Detroit-Windsor marathon claims the world's only underwater international mile, inside the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.

3 Everyone who completes one of the races receives a medal.

4 It cost $10 to enter the race in 1986. Now the entry fee ranges from $70 to $125.

5 Timing chips were first used in 1998.

6 The top male and female finishers each win $5,000. If the top finisher breaks the course record (2 hours 13 minutes 7 seconds for men or 2 hours 34 minutes 16 seconds for women), he or she will win an additional $5,000.

7 In 1984, the marathon was run the same day the Detroit Tigers won the World Series.

The Course

8 The marathon's original starting line was in Windsor.

9 The first marathon ended on Belle Isle.

10 1999 was the first year the route included the Ambassador Bridge.

11 The marathon has been run completely on American soil just twice -- in 1993, due to construction and in 2001, due to heightened border security after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

12 This year's race has a new finish line at Campus Martius Park after five years of ending inside Ford Field.

Record-holders

13 The youngest person to complete the marathon was Macomb Township's Adam Rose, a handcycler who was 12 years old in 2006.

14 The oldest person to cross the finish line was local running legend Jim Ramsey. He was 90 when he completed the race in 1998.

15 Greg Meyer, a Grand Rapids native, set the men's course record in 1980.

16 Russian runner Elena Orlova ran the fastest women's time in 2004.

17 Seth Arseneau, a Grand Rapids native, set the course record for the fastest men's hand-cycling time. In 2003, he finished in 1 hour 17 minutes 26 seconds.

18 Six men have run all 29 Free Press marathons and are expected to run in Sunday's 30th.

The runners

19 You never know what you'll see during the marathon. Runners in tuxedos, superhero costumes or running backward have all been spotted.

20 She's never gone the distance, but Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a native of Canada, plans to run as part of a 5-person relay, dubbed Team Granholm.

21 Don't expect to see Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick doing the same. Last year, after Granholm pledged to run in 2007, Kilpatrick joked to the crowd: "I'm going to say right here: Next year I am not going to run the marathon."

22 Patricia Ball, the marathon's director since 2001, first ran in it in 1982. She remembers being near the back of the pack. "Someone had to be last," Ball said with a laugh.

23 Most of those who participate in the marathon don't actually run the whole thing -- they run or walk the half-marathon, run a leg of the 5-person relay or do the 5K.

The why

24 Many of those running the marathon do it to celebrate losing weight, overcoming disease or in memory of someone who died.

25 Since 1982, the Free Press has partnered with the Michigan Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to raise money. Now, runners are able to partner with and raise pledges for other charities through the marathon's Run for a Reason program.

26 Some runners use the Free Press Marathon to qualify for Boston. Often they are helped by pacers, runners provided by marathon organizers to keep consistent mile-times.

27 This year, the marathon is providing pacers for women who want to make it to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which will be held at the Boston Marathon in April. The time to beat is 2 hours 47 minutes.

Sideline support

28 In 2000, the race added spirit stations along the course, spots where volunteers gather to shout encouragement to runners.

29 It's not just about running -- it's about the entertainment, too. High school marching bands, jazz and rock groups and Motown musicians will be spaced along the course to give runners boosts of energy.

30 From 2001-2004, runners could count on party-hearty Indian Village residents handing out free beer between miles 21 and 23.
The idea to run in today's Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon crept into Cree Thompson's head last year.

She had just completed the five-person relay, when she noticed something.

Advertisement


She received this small medal, while the marathon finishers got bigger medals.

"The medals were real huge," Thompson said recently at a downtown coney restaurant. "I wanted one of those. My dad laughs at me, but I was serious. So I decided I wanted to do the marathon."

So the Detroit Southeastern senior started training to run the 26.2 miles of the marathon.

And along the way, she decided to use her hard work for a good cause. Thompson is running the marathon to raise money for her college fund and also to make a donation to Darfur relief.

She has already received donations and plans to give most of it to help the troubled region of the African nation of Sudan.

She got the idea when she saw a documentary on TV and then she researched it on the Internet. She also read a book about the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s.

"I felt bad and I wanted to give back to my homeland," she said.

Thompson's social awareness comes from her parents, Erik and Lynn.

Erik Thompson, who is also her trainer, wasn't surprised to hear about his daughter's decision.

"I tell my kids to read the newspaper every day," said Erik Thompson, who has seven kids. "I read three newspapers a day. I get different perspectives.

"With this hip-hop generation, they feel as though they are being attacked. I feel they are in a position of power and greatness they haven't touched into yet."

Erik Thompson's view is that comparing the lives we live to others in the world should make us realize how good we have it.

"If you were to trade places with someone in Darfur, Rwanda or even someone in Iraq, you would quickly realize the benefits and the opportunities you have to succeed," Erik Thompson said. "So before you start (complaining) about the 'system' and 'the man,' understand you have the power."

Then he chuckled: "She's a socially conscious sister. I ain't got no problem with it."

But there are times his pride turns to frustration when training his daughter.

Their workouts begin at 5 a.m. and, as you might guess, she isn't exactly hopping out of the bed most mornings.

In fact, she admits to scheming to try to keep her dad up at night so he will be tempted to sleep later.

It doesn't work.

"I would pray before I went to bed, 'Please don't let this man get up at 5 o'clock.' He gets up every time," Cree Thompson said.

Then there are the workouts.

They average 6 to 9 miles every morning. Cree Thompson, who also runs for the Southeastern cross-country and track teams, works out in the afternoon when she doesn't have cross-country practice. That consists of either bike work or another six miles of running.

Her dad has trained her at Belle Isle, where she runs in the deep water, then gets on the beach surface for more running.

Then there are pool workouts and weight training.

"There have been times when I've said, 'Screw it, I ain't working with you no more.' And she goes yelling for her mom," Erik Thompson said. "She has saved her a couple of times."

But the results are obvious. She has run 25 miles without stopping, saving the complete distance for today.

"She's gotten dramatic results from the workouts," Erik Thompson said. "Even the coaches and the players on the team are like, 'Is she juicing?' "

And when she finishes today's marathon, Erik Thompson believes his daughter will be able to do anything.

"When she finishes, it's going to open her up to where she can do anything." Erik Thompson said. "That's 26.2 miles. That's not 2.1 miles; that's not five; that's close to 30 miles.

"I'm very proud of her. She's worked very hard."
What: 30th Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon presented by WDIV Local 4, a 26.2-mile footrace with more than $35,000 in prize money.

When: 7:10 a.m. today.

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Where: The streets of Detroit and Windsor. Starts on Washington Boulevard near Grand River Avenue. Ends at Campus Martius Park.

Field: More than 16,000 (record is 15,761 last year). No race-day registration.

Other races: A half marathon, Kar's Nuts Team Relay, Armada Oil & Gas 5K Fun Run, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Red Nose/Kids Mini-Marathon (a 5K event for children 14 and younger).

Schedule: 6:45 a.m. -- Opening ceremonies. 7:10 a.m. -- Wheelchair racers and handcyclists. 7:15 a.m. -- Marathon, half marathon and relay runners and walkers. 7:45 a.m. -- 5K run/walk and kids 5K participants.

Notables: World-record holder Haile Gebrselassie (partial); Gov. Jennifer Granholm, (relay team); first gentleman Dan Mulhern, (half); Frazz comic strip creator Jef Mallett, and DJ Spudd (half).

MARATHON MEMORIES

The Free Press has published a new book celebrating 30 years of the marathon.

? "Long Run" is 128 pages, filled with stories and color photos. It's $14.95. Sporting a sharp-looking striped suit and his typical wide smile, outside the Detroit Marriott ballroom Saturday night, Haile Gebrselassie stepped aside from the throng of dinner attendees to talk about a pair of shoes special to him.

"The 10,000 meters in Atlanta in 1996," the 34-year-old Ethiopian running star said. "It was the first gold medal I won."

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Gebrselassie was talking about a pair of blue Adidas spikes. Aside from the 1996 Olympics, Gebrselassie also won gold in the 10,000 meters at the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, and 1997 World Championships in Athens, Greece, wearing those shoes.

"These are historical shoes," he noted.

And, to the surprise of many, he handed them over Saturday evening, autographed.

Gebrselassie arrived in Detroit on Saturday afternoon to be an honorary cochair at the Faces of Ethiopia reception. The fund-raising dinner, which was expected to be attended by several hundred people was held by the Ethiopian North American Health Professionals Association (ENAHPA).

ENAHPA performs medical missions in the African nation, which is in the midst of a healthcare crisis and has one physician per 40,000 people, according to the World Health Organization. (In the United States, it's one physician per 330 people.)

Today, after he starts and runs a portion of the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon, Gebrselassie will be on hand at the Hard Rock Café on Monroe Street in downtown Detroit when the shoes are auctioned.

Bidding starts at 10:45 a.m., with a minimum bid of $7,500, and all proceeds go to ENAHPA.

"These people, what they're doing, I have to do something as well," Gebrselassie said of ENAHPA members, including friend and organization founder and president Dr. Ingida Asfaw of Detroit. "This is something I support. This is something very special for the people of my country. That's why I am so happy to offer these shoes."

The so-called historical shoes were worn during the earlier days of Gebrselassie's career ascent, even though they're still in usable condition.

Since then, Gebrselassie has won several more World Championships medals in the 10,000 meters, another Olympics gold in the 10,000 meters (2000 in Sydney) and set a world record for fastest marathon finish (2 hours, 4 minutes and 26 seconds in Berlin on Sept. 30). Now, he is considered by many to be the greatest distance runner ever.

He said he'll go about 10 miles at the Free Press Marathon, or his usual light Sunday running. He's training for his next marathon, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in January, and ultimately the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

But for his short stay in Detroit, from Saturday until Monday morning, he's not thinking about his athletic career.

In Ethiopia, it is estimated that the AIDS epidemic has created a million orphans, according to ENHPA, and AIDS isn't even among the top three fatal diseases in the country.

"Many people, they don't even have a chance to survive. It's a very complicated problem," Gebrselassie said. "Dr. Ingida, for us, is an icon. I've always appreciated what Dr. Ingida is doing."

Today, for many at the Free Press Marathon, Gebrselassie is the icon.