Andrea Brinkman, Kyle Blomgren run 2015 Detroit Marathon
Downtown Detroit, Michigan was packed with over 28,000 runners – and 50,000 spectators cheering them on – for the Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon on Sunday morning, October 18.
In that mob of nearly 30,000 runners – taking off at 7 a.m. – Mountain Lake Public High School Choir Instructor Andrea Brinkman and Mountain Lake Public Elementary School Sixth-Grade Teacher and Cross Country Co-Coach Kyle Blomgren.
And leading the cheers for the pair from amid the swam of spectators was Nate Brinkman, husband of Andrea Brinkman and Mountain Lake Public High School Mathematics teacher.
This was the 38th annual 26.2 mile marathon run in the “Motor City,” and it was a chilly morning, with temperatures of 33 degrees at race start. with wind chills in the upper 20s.
Setting off first were the handcyclists and wheelchair racers. For the next half-hour, 15 waves of runners – sent off two minutes apart – began the trek on their respective marathon, international half marathon and five-person marathon relay.
The 51-year-old Blomgren, of Butterfield, wearing Bib #118, ran the marathon in a net time (from the time the runner passes the start line until he or she crosses the finish line) of 3:46:28, for a 8:38 per mile pace.
Brinkman, 36, of Mountain Lake, with Bib #165, completed the marathon in a 4:05:59 net time, with a 9:22 per count.
Since 1978, runners from Michigan, the United States and all over the world have traveled to Detroit to take part in the marathon. It has become an event that encompasses people from all walks of life, not just elite runners. They run the marathon for different reasons: to qualify for the Boston Marathon, to raise money for charity, to honor a loved one, to celebrate weight loss or to show that they have overcome tremendous odds.
The first Free Press Marathon in 1978 drew 1,942 runners. At the turn of the century, the Free Press Marathon had yet to double in size, attracting 3,588 participants. But last year, the 37th edition drew a record field of 27,396 registered runners. That’s a 764% increase since the turn of the century.
Things that make the Detroit run unique include crossing international borders twice – running into Windsor, Ontario, Canada and back to Detroit in the United States – running an “underwater mile” through the Detroit tunnel, the scenic sights on Belle Isle and the views of the city from Corktown to Indian Village.
