A new Motor City Half marathon will debut in Detroit in spring 2027

Detroit is getting a new spring race, and the people behind the city's fall marathon are the ones building it.

The Motor City Half presented by MSUFCU will make its debut on April 25, 2027, a 13.1-mile run organized by the Detroit Free Press Marathon organizers. The announcement went out on September 28, 2026.

The half marathon will follow a fresh springtime course through Detroit neighborhoods and streets that the fall marathon route does not feature, and it will finish at Chandler Park Field House on the city's east side. The field house, known as The Dome, will host packet pickup, the finish line, and the post-race celebration.

The inaugural field is capped at 6,000 runners. Early registration opens during the Kia Health & Fitness Expo on October 16 and 17 at Huntington Place, and public registration follows after the expo at motorcityhalf.com.

A spring half gives Detroit runners a second marquee date. The fall marathon has long owned the city's running weekend, and now spring gets a headliner too.

"This is more than adding another race to the calendar, it's creating a new way for people to experience Detroit," said Aaron Velthoven, the race director and vice president.

Organizers say the race is designed to be zero-waste and will support community and philanthropic initiatives throughout Detroit.

The timing is not incidental. 2027 also marks what organizers are calling the 50th anniversary of the Detroit Free Press Marathon. Runners who register early for the Motor City Half will receive early access to sign up for that anniversary race in October 2027.

For runners, the near-term move is the expo. October 16 and 17 at Huntington Place is the first chance to lock in a spot before the 6,000 places open to the public at motorcityhalf.com.