The good news is, the Detroit Free Press Marathon will return this fall, live and local.
The bad news is, it will not cross the border.
Organizers of the annual marathon, the only one in the world that crosses an international border, announced Thursday that the entire race will be run within the City of Detroit.
The full 26-mile marathon, the half-marathon, and the marathon relay will take place on Sunday, October 17. The kids' fun run, 5-kilometre race, and the one-mile competitive race will happen in Detroit on Saturday, the 16th.
The changing situation with the COVID-19 pandemic and the current travel restrictions between Canada and the United States have forced the hands of race organizers, who want to run a live race this year after going virtual last year.
"Running internationally is a beloved and unique component of our race, and because of that, we exhausted every opportunity and avenue, hoping that we would continue that tradition this year," read a release posted on the race's official website.
This will be only the third time in the marathon's 44-year history that the race will not run in Windsor.
The start-finish line will be at its usual place on Fort Street, not far from the former Detroit Free Press Building. The course this year will run north, past the Motown Museum, through the historic Boston-Edison neighbourhood, and through The District Detroit. The route will also run through the downtown streets and on Belle Isle.
"Given all we’ve collectively been through over the past 17 months, we hope you will come together with us to bring live racing back to the City of Detroit," read the release.
For complete information on registering and all race activities, visit the race's official website.
