Tragic news from one of the country’s most famed marathons.
A 57-year-old man running in the Detroit Free Press Marathon collapsed shortly into the race, and later died.
Sad news out of Detroit Free Press Marathon. 57-year-old male runner passed away in Windsor. More details to come @FOX2News @freep @FreepMarathon
— Ingrid Kelley (@IngridKMedia) October 20, 2024
As first reported by Detroit Fox affiliate FOX 2, the collapsed while running on the Windsor (Canada) side of the race on mile 5.
The runner, whose identity has not been released, was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“Our condolences — we’re saddened, our hearts go out to them, they really do,” race official Aaron VelthovenV said. “It’s a tough thing. It’s a tough thing for everyone to hear that call through the radio.”
“I wanna just thank the medical staff, the volunteers along the course. They are there for these types of situations, these medical emergencies,” he added.
The Detroit Free Press Marathon, which spans three days and draws over 26,000 participants, is known for its international route that crosses the U.S.-Canada border, making it North America’s largest international marathon event.
A married couple named Sydney Devore-Bowman and Andy Bowman claimed victory in their respective marathons, embracing at the finish line marking a silver lining to an otherwise tragic race day.
This is incredible! ❤️ The husband-and-wife duo of Andy Bowman and Sydney Devore, both of Ferndale, won the men's and women's races in the 47th @FreepMarathon presented by @msufcu, making history as they embrace at the finish line.
(📹 by @RappleyeLiam) pic.twitter.com/5021wlc7te
— Detroit Free Press (@freep) October 20, 2024