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Michigan > Dexter-Ann Arbor Run Half Marathon, 10K
& 5K
Ann Arbor, MI
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Date
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Event
Details
The hills, trees and backwoods riverbanks of Michigan's Huron River
Drive are the setting for the annual Dexter to Ann Arbor Run, a road
race event with a half-marathon, a 10K, a 5K and a kids fun run that
takes runners on a course exactly as its name suggests, from the town
of Dexter along an eastward route along the Huron River to the finish
in downtown Ann Arbor. Hilly and fairly challenging -- though not
overly so -- the race is run on paved surfaces throughout the entire
course, and features its only real flat stretches of any length for two
miles during the entire race.
First run in 1974 as a way to commemorate Ann Arbor's sesquicentennial
(150th) anniversary that year, the race was originally run as a 15-mile
race that took runners on an out-and-back course along Dexter-Chelsea
Road. Though it has gone through many changes over the years -- the
addition (and later subtraction) of a half-marathon relay, as well as
the 10K and 5K races that are run at the event today -- the race got
its current slate of events in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when it
was scheduled to coincide with Ann Arbor's popular "Taste of Ann Arbor"
food festival.
The race starting line for the half-marathon lies at Dexter's Creekside
Intermediate School on Baker Road, and runners start the race promptly
at 8:50 AM. From there, the field of more than 2,000 half-marathoners
(out of an expected 6,000 participants overall) follow a
counter-clockwise loop through Dexter as they make their way to Huron
River Drive, which they follow as its winds along the shores of the
river for most of the race.
The course, along which participants are expected to keep at least a
12-minute-per-mile pace, runs through a
series of parks on its way to Ann Arbor, including Dexter Huron
Metropark, Delhi Metropark and Bird Hills Park. The Huron River makes
for a mostly quiet companion throughout the race, as this slow-moving
river is known perhaps best to locals and visitors for its slow current
and scarce rapids that make for great canoeing and kayaking.
Once they reach downtown Ann Arbor, runners then begin the final
stretch of the race along North Main Street, which is also one of the
hilliest parts of the race and actually ends on an uphill to the finish
line. At 11:30 AM, race organizers will begin dismantling the finish
line staging area, so plan to finish the 13.1 miles in less than three
hours.
Race
Weather & Climate
Set in the southern part of the state, just 40 miles from Lake Erie and
nearby Detroit, the city of Ann Arbor enjoys pleasantly mild to
moderately warm temperatures in the late spring/early summer weeks,
with occasional rainfall. In June, average monthly temperatures range
between 79°F and 58°F, while rainfall amounts average
around 3.38 inches for the month.
Fees
$30 if registered by May 5, 2008
$35 between May 6 - 30
$40 at the weekend race expo
Registration
To reserve your spot in this year's Dexter-Ann Arbor Run, register online at SignMeUp.com
or print out and mail in this downloadable entry form.
Website
www.dexterannarborrun.com
Course Map
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Larger Map
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Your Race Story
Ever run in Ann Arbor's annual Dexter Run Half Marathon or 5K? Share
your
impressions and read fellow runners' stories and tips for the event.
Discuss it in the HalfMarathons.Net
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