#AndTheFreepGoesOn Contest

From Sunday, August 16, 2020 to Friday August 22, 2020, we have partnered up with Playmakers to give you the chance to win a new pair of running shoes!

Whether you’re training to run or walk with us virtually this October, or you think a new pair of kicks will be exactly what you need to kick-off your training, we hope you’ll join us in a little fun!

What is the contest?

While we are all still bummed that we will not be together this October at the start line, and we know that there is no substitute for running over the Ambassador Bridge at sunrise, we how that you will join us bring elements of our race to your own backyard!

All week we will be sharing race day pictures of different parts of the course and we want to see how you can recreate them. There will be six elements shared on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages Sunday through Friday. We hope this will inspire you to find pieces of Detroit in your own neighborhood and share them with us. Then starting on Friday we will be collecting submissions to win a new pair of running shoes! Three winners will be selected on Monday, August 24, 2020. But that is not all! These winners, and everyone else for that matter! Will have the opportunity to ask an expert every shoe question they have ever thought of to get into the perfect pair of shoes.

The rules:

To be officially entered for a chance to win, participants need to submit their photos here by 8/23: Contest Submission

Want an extra entry? Share your entries on social and use the following tags: #AndTheFreepGoesOn @freepmarathon @playmakersfit

Three winners will be announced on 8/24!

Join us Virtually in 2020!

Register Now for Our Virtual Events!

As you have probably heard by now, this year we are taking the Detroit Free Press/TCF Bank Marathon Weekend virtual. While we are disappointed that we will not be able to be together downtown this October, we are really excited about the virtual options we will be bringing to all participants this October.

If you decide to join us virtually, you will receive:

• A premium tech shirt with your registered distance on it.
  • Photos featured here!
• A 2020 medal for your registered distance and bonus: Motor City Challenge Participants will receive a medal for each distance they complete as well as a Motor City Challenge Medal.
  • Medal design graphics can be found here!
• Your own Detroit Free Press/TCF Bank Marathon Bib, with room for customization, to help bring the race day experience to your own backyard.
• All Motor City Challenge Participants will receive a Motown-themed pullover in addition to the participant shirt for the highest individual distance they complete.
  • This means that The Temptation participants will also get a 5k shirt, The Wonder participants will also get a 13.1 shirt and The Supreme participants will also get a 26.2 shirt.
  • Photos of the pullover and participant shirts can be found here!
• We are committed to bringing as many aspects of the race day experience to you and will be sharing more goody bag details as we get closer to the event!
• BONUS, add on this Premium Virtual Jacket brought to you by TCF Bank, featured below:
• 

Check out the size chart here!

Virtual registration prices available below:

Marathon: $55

Half: $50

Relay: $175

5K, 1-Mile and Kids: $40

Temptation: $75

Wonder: $100

Supreme: $110

Your new registration includes everything you see above EXCEPT the Premium Virtual Jacket brought to you by TCF Bank. Those jackets are available as an add on to your registration for an additional fee.

To register for our virtual race, please visit the link below:

Virtual Registration Now Open

If we still haven’t convinced you to join us virtually in 2020, consider these ten reasons below:

1) It’s as competitive as you want it to be.

2) You can do it wherever you want.

3) The start time is much more flexible.

4) You can leave your passport at home this year!

5) It’s a great time for gear or food testing!

6) It can motivate you to keep on running.

7) A virtual race is a perfect time to try out a longer distance!

8) It’s an embarrassment-free zone.

9) The same great swag!

10) No Porta-Potty Lines!

2020 Shirt Designs Are Here!

Our 2020 participant shirts designs are in! If you haven’t already gotten a sneak peek of our shirts in the Detroit Marathon Runners or Rookie Round Up Facebook groups, we are so excited to share some pictures of the designs here! This year’s shirts are inspired by the stars and maple leaves of the U.S. and Canadian flags as well as the Spirit of Detroit. Every shirt will showcase the distance on the front and back!

• Each distance has a unique shirt, showcasing the distance and/or name of the event on the front and back.
• All shirts will be long-sleeved.
• Each shirt is made of a technical, dry-fit fabric (Kids Fun Run shirts will be a cotton blend).
• Shirts are gender-specific sizing.
• The Men’s shirts will have a crew neck and a straight across bottom hem; the women’s shirts will have a V-neck and a rounded bottom hem.
• The shirts will be black.

Motor City Challenge Design

This year anyone completing the Motor City Challenge will receive this premium dry-fit pullover. Made from a slightly thicker technical material than the participant shirts, this is the perfect thing to throw on after your run. The Motor City Challenge pullover design channels the Motown spirit. The back of the quarter zip features a record player with the name and distance for each event. But that’s not all…

We heard you! This year, in addition to receiving this great wearable, Motor City Challenge Participants will be acquiring a participant shirt too! Each participant will receive a shirt for the highest distance they completed. This means The Temptation participants will receive the 5k shirt, The Wonder participants will receive the 13.1 shirt and The Supreme participants will receive the 26.2 shirt.

Let us guess what you’ll say next…

These shirts are awesome! I can’t wait to get mine!
Thanks! We’ve been working on them since February and are so excited to share them with you! Special shout-out to our designer, Kevin, who worked tirelessly on them.

How’s the sizing?
Great question! The women’s shirts run a little bigger and the men’s shirts run true to size.

Who gets a shirt?

Everyone who is participating in any of our virtual events will get a shirt. More information about the virtual race packets will be available on Thursday, July 30, 2020.

2020 Detroit Free Press/TCF Bank Marathon

Detroit’s Marathon Weekend is not just any weekend. It’s a celebration of athleticism, perseverance, community and the best Detroit has to offer. In March when our world as we knew it seemed to change, we were hopeful that we would be able to run together in October.  As time has gone on, it has become clear to us that this will not be the case.  It is with a heavy heart that we are announcing we will not be gathering together at the start line this year. (more…)

10 Tips to Keep your Fundraising on Track

Tip #1: Post regular updates. Reached 50% of your fundraising target? Smashed your training run today? Use your online fundraising page alongside your social media accounts as your diary and keep friends, family and colleagues involved with your fundraising journey.

Tip #2: Show donors what their support will achieve by asking your chosen charity about the work they do. What could your charity achieve with a $10 donation? How could $50 change a life? Let donors know the impact their giving will have in a specific and understandable way.

Tip#3: Think outside the box. Why not commit to a dare if you meet your fundraising goal? Whether you agree to dye your hair or wear your pajamas to work, donors love it when you put your pride on the line for a good cause!

Tip #4: Get your workplace involved. Find out if your organization will match employees’ charitable donations – many do! Or simply let your colleagues know what good deeds you’re up to by posting on your internal channels.

Tip #5: Step outside your direct network. It may feel weird to ask for support outside your group of friends, but tons of people out there share your passion. So go ahead, post your fundraising project on that local community Facebook group!

Tip #6: Take your fundraising offline by downloading your project’s QR code and printing it in brochures, flyers and posters. And of course, there’s the most personal and powerful offline method of all – asking in person.

Tip #7: Enjoy baking, singing or dog walking? Put your hobbies to work for charity as your fundraising challenge! Everybody wins.

Tip #8: Be persistent. Don’t be afraid to ask twice. People often mean to donate but forget to do so. It usually takes more than one request to nudge someone into action, so don’t feel embarrassed to ask again.

Tip #9: A simple thank you can go a long way. Showing your gratitude to donors isn’t just a nice thing to do, it can encourage them to spread positive word of mouth about your fundraising – and maybe even donate again.

Tip #10: Your fundraising journey doesn’t end when you cross the finish line. Up to 20% of donations come in after race day, so make sure you keep pushing!

Runner of the Week is back in 2020!

We are so excited to announce the return of our Michelob ULTRA Runner of the Week program! Starting on April 24, we’ll be highlighting our runners and walkers up until race day and sharing their stories with you.

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At Home Core Workout

Can’t make it to our live workout? Here is a downloadable PDF to do it on your own!

core workout

Home Workout for Runners

We have been working at home for a full week now and like all of you, we are starting to get stir crazy. With gyms being closed, working out can be difficult but we are here to help with an at-home workout built with runners in mind. This workout will take about 30 minutes followed by some stretches to keep you moving through this period of social distancing. Under this downloadable PDF, you will find examples for each workout and modifications if needed.

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Bring Your Dog to Work Day: Race Staff Edition

Hi everyone! We have some exciting news over at HQ- our Downtown Detroit office is now dog friendly!

Since our staff has grown by 32 paws, we have thought it’s only fair that we introduce you to all of them too!

First: You’ve seen him before but have you seen him looking this stylish?

(more…)

Spectator’s Guide

Our 26,000 runners bring a huge support base with them on race weekend. If you’re one of those loved ones, you may be curious where the best place to watch the race is; or what exciting things there are to see and do on race weekend? We are here to help! Please use this page to help you have the best race weekend possible and enjoy the city we call home.

(more…)