Detroit's 49th Marathon Weekend Is Under Way; Windsor Tunnel Closes Sunday Morning for the Underwater Mile
Detroit is a city in Wayne County, Michigan. The 49th Detroit Free Press Marathon weekend runs October 16 to 18 in Detroit. Saturday, October 17, features the 5K, the 1-Mile, the Kids Marathon and the Meijer Little Detroit Dash, while Sunday, October 18, brings the marathon, the International Half-Marathon, the Motor City Half-Marathon and the marathon relay, starting near Fort Street downtown.
The race's signature stretch sends runners across the Ambassador Bridge into Windsor, Canada, and back into the United States beneath the Detroit River through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel — the "underwater mile," the only official underwater international mile in the world. About four miles of the 26.2-mile course lie in Windsor. The tunnel operator announced on October 15 that, to accommodate the race, the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel will close to all vehicle traffic from 6:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, with normal operations resuming at 10:15 a.m., and advised cross-border travelers to allow extra time.
On the Ambassador Bridge, traffic will be restricted on Sunday, with two-way vehicle traffic on one side, runners on the other and a buffer lane between them; the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which opened in July, will remain open. Weekend road closures published by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) also include sections of M-85 (Fort Street) closing in stages from Saturday morning, M-1 (Woodward Avenue) closed from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, parts of M-10 (the Lodge Freeway) closed Sunday morning, and the I-75 ramps to the Ambassador Bridge closed from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. Sunday. The QLINE streetcar will run shortened service on Saturday, ending at State Street, and on Sunday, ending at Little Caesars Arena.
"For one morning every October, the Tunnel stops being a daily commute and becomes a memory runners carry with them for the rest of their lives," said Trevor Pearce, interim CEO of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. "Detroit and Windsor share a river, and a deep sense of pride, and we're honored to help showcase that bond to athletes and spectators from around the world."
The Detroit Free Press Marathon was named the best marathon in America for the second consecutive year by the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. More than 26,000 runners took part in 2025, a record, and registration for this year's race closed on September 8 after selling out.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Detroit-Windsor Tunnel隧道内部，选手周日将从Detroit River河底跑过这段「水下英里」（资料图）。Photo: Inside the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, the 'underwater mile' runners will cross beneath the Detroit River on Sunday (file photo). Image: Midnightrambler75, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
