A new half marathon is coming to Detroit next spring.
The inaugural Motor City Half presented by MSUFCU is set for Sunday, April 25, and will be put on by the same organizers as the Detroit Free Press Marathon.
The 13.1-mile race will follow a new and different course than those of the half marathons that take place during the fall Free Press marathon weekend.
Full details on the course are still to be announced, although the new Chandler Park Field House, 12300 Chandler Park Drive, will be the center of the event and the finish line, and also will host the post-race celebration.
The field for the race's first year will be limited to 6,000 runners. Early registration will open during the Detroit Free Press Marathon weekend at the Kia Health & Fitness
Expo, Oct. 16-17, in Huntington Place in downtown.
The registration then will expand to the general public via https://motorcityhalf.com.
“This is more than adding another race to the calendar, it’s creating a new way for people to experience Detroit,” said Aaron Velthoven, race director and vice president. “We’ve spent nearly five decades building a running tradition in this city, and now we’re taking that tradition into the spring. The Motor City Half will give runners a fresh course, a different season and an entirely different experience of Detroit.”
The Motor City Half will provide support for community and philanthropic initiatives throughout Detroit, with specific partnerships and beneficiaries to be announced later.
MSU Federal Credit Union is the presenting sponsor for the new race as well as the for long-running Detroit Free Press Marathon, which is set for its 49th running next month during the weekend of Friday, Oct. 16.
The Motor City Half's inaugural sponsors are Kia, Athletico, Brooks, Running Lab and Planet Fitness.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: New half marathon, the Motor City Half, to debut in spring 2027
