A cool 48°F at the start line is ideal for fast times — expect to warm up quickly once you're moving. Temps will climb significantly to 63°F by later miles, so expect fading conditions as the race progresses. Moderate winds around 15mph may affect pacing on open sections of the course.

8 AM

9 AM

10 AM

11 AM

12 PM

1 PM

2 PM

3 PM

4 PM

Pre-raceRace windowPost-race

Pace Calculator

Distance: 13.1mi

Finish time

0:00:00

HH:MM:SS

Pace

—

Enter a finish time to see what race day does to it.

Pace

—

Enter a finish time to see your race-day finish and True Effort, with what the weather, wind and hills do to it.

Common Goals:

Get forecast alerts for Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon

We'll text or email you when the forecast shifts — so you can adjust gear, pacing, and strategy. Max one per day.

Race Plan

Get your personalized Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon race plan

A mile-by-mile breakdown of where your time goes, weather-adjusted splits, fueling timeline with aid stations, packing checklist, carb tracker, spectator guide, all built around your goal and race-day conditions.

Race Pace

Weather Splits

Nutrition

Gear & Packing

T-Minus

Carb Tracker

Spectator Guide

Race Band

About the Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon

The Motor City Half Marathon stays entirely within Detroit. The route passes through downtown, Midtown, Woodbridge, Eastern Market and Lafayette Park before finishing in the heart of downtown at Campus Martius Park.

Website

Race weekend

Saturday, October 17

8:50 AM5K (3.1 mi)

Sunday, October 18

7:00 AMMarathon (26.2 mi)7:00 AMInternational Half Marathon (13.1 mi)

10:30 AMMotor City Half Marathon (13.1 mi)

Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon FAQ

When is the 2026 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon?

The 2026 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon will be held on Sunday October 18, 2026.

What is the time limit for the Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon?

The time limit for the Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon is 3.5 hours.

What will the weather be like for the 2026 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon?

The forecast calls for a high of 64°F and a low of 40°F with a 0% chance of rain. Check our detailed hourly forecast above for the best half marathon race plan.

What is the weather usually like for the Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon?

Over the 28 years racecast.io has race-day weather for (1998 to 2026), it averaged 52°F at the start and 56°F by a typical finish. Rain fell during race hours in 2 of those years (2016 and 2025).

What was the hottest Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon?

Of the 28 years on record, 2017 was the warmest, reaching 74°F during race hours. The coldest start was 2018, at 37°F.

What was the windiest Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon?

Of the 28 years on record, 2017 was the windiest, with wind averaging 19 mph during race hours. The calmest was 2019, at 2 mph.

Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon weather history

Based on 28 years of data

Avg Temp

54°F

L:51° H:56°

RunScore

Conditions

Rain Freq

2 of 28 yrs

Wind10mph

Dew41°F

Temperature History

Range of temperatures during race hours for each year.

Detailed History

Year	Low / High	Rain	Dew Point
2026 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Clear conditions throughout the day. 2026	48°/56°	-	32°
2025 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day with a chance of rain throughout the day. 2025	60°/65°	Light	61°
2024 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Clear conditions throughout the day. 2024	56°/65°	-	41°
2023 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day with rain. 2023	52°/55°	-	41°
2022 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day with early morning rain. 2022	47°/51°	-	30°
2021 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day. 2021	51°/57°	-	42°
2019 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day. 2019	55°/61°	-	49°
2018 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day. 2018	37°/39°	-	25°
2017 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day with rain. 2017	73°/74°	-	66°
2016 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day with rain in the morning and afternoon. 2016	64°/69°	Light	61°
2015 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day. 2015	40°/46°	-	25°
2014 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day. 2014	40°/45°	-	32°
2013 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day with rain. 2013	46°/52°	-	38°
2012 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Clear conditions throughout the day. 2012	47°/55°	-	44°
2011 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day with late afternoon rain. 2011	51°/53°	-	43°
2010 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day. 2010	52°/60°	-	40°
2009 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day. 2009	42°/47°	-	26°
2008 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day. 2008	46°/53°	-	36°
2007 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Clear conditions throughout the day. 2007	64°/71°	-	45°
2006 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Clear conditions throughout the day. 2006	43°/46°	-	24°
2005 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day. 2005	45°/50°	-	38°
2004 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day with rain clearing later. 2004	56°/57°	-	50°
2003 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day with early morning rain. 2003	45°/50°	-	33°
2002 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day. 2002	59°/65°	-	50°
2001 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day with rain. 2001	61°/64°	-	55°
2000 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Partly cloudy throughout the day with afternoon rain. 2000	60°/63°	-	53°
1999 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Becoming cloudy in the afternoon. 1999	46°/51°	-	39°
1998 Detroit Free Press Motor City Half Marathon Clearing in the afternoon. 1998	52°/56°	-	42°