Martian Marathon Draws Olympic Athletes to Dearborn

Thousands of athletes will invade Dearborn on April 13 when the 2013 Martian Marathon, organized by Running Fit, returns to the city.

Now in its seventh year, the fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society includes a full marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K. The event also includes a children’s marathon of 1.2 miles for youth who have logged 25 miles in the time leading up to the race.

The races begin and end at Ford Field Park, 22501 Cherry Hill.

Randy Step, president of Running Fit, said as of Wednesday, roughly 2,000 children and 6,000 adults representing 38 states across the country have registered for the event.

"It's fantastic to see so many people enthusiastic about running," Step said. "This is (Running Fit's) single largest event, and it draws thousands of people, including some of the world's elite runners, to Michigan."

Some of those athletes include Matt Fecht of Warren, an NCAA cross-country All-American runner and Olympic trials marathon qualifier; Dot McMahan of Oakland Township, a Team USA member for the world half marathon championships; and Ovidiu Olteanu of Commerce Township, a 1500-meter Olympian.

"It's quite an affair," Step said. "Not only do we bring runners to Dearborn, but hundreds more come just to watch. That helps out the local businesses, restaurants, and hotels."

Step said participation in the marathon is up 20 percent from last year. Despite forecasts predicting rain for Thursday and Friday, he said weather does not typically deter the marathon runners.

"The field will be wet, but we'll be fine," Step joked.

Mayor John B. O'Reilly, Jr. will lead the 5K, 10K, and children's marathon, and prizes will be awarded to the top five runners in each age group bracket for the races.

Online registration for the event closes at noon Thursday, however runners can register at the Running Fit health expo, open to the public, from 3 to 8 p.m. on April 12. The expo will take place at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center.

The mission of the Martian Marathon event is to promote an active, healthy lifestyle for adults and children. Proceeds from the race benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Dearborn Recreation & Parks Department, and select youth track and cross-country programs.

For more information, visit http://martianmarathon.com.

Dearborn road and lane closures

Several temporary road and lane closures, as well as some parking restrictions, will be enforced during the Martian Marathon.

All races will start at Ford Field and travel south on Monroe Street, west on Morley Street and north on Military Street. Races will have staggered start times between 7:15 -8:45 a.m., resulting in a temporary blockage of vehicle traffic on those streets Saturday morning.

Additionally, the races will result in the following restrictions at various times from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.:

• Cherry Hill between Military and Golfcrest will be closed between 8:05-8:15 a.m. for the 5K race.

• Runners of the 5K race will then be directed through the Golfcrest Country Club Estates Neighborhood between approximately 8:05-8:45 a.m., affecting the following streets briefly: Golfcrest Drive, Shady Hollow Drive, Brady Street, Meadowlane Road and Willoway Road.

• Westbound Michigan Avenue will be restricted to one lane between Evergreen Road and Brady.

• The two right lanes of eastbound Ford Road between Golfview and Evergreen Road will be closed.

• The exit ramps from southbound Hines Drive to Ford Road, and from eastbound Ford Road to Evergreen Road will be closed.

Residents of the neighborhoods near Ford Field should plan to enter and exit the areas via Brady before 8 a.m., and via Cherry Hill and Military after 9 a.m. Access into and out of the neighborhoods will be limited between 8-9 a.m.

A map of the parking options can be found at http://www.martianmarathon.com/info/parking.html.

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