Photo: Dan Mulhern (center) celebrates finish with daughter Cecelia (left) and wife Governor Jennifer Granholm (right).

DETROIT, MI/WINDSOR, ON (October 24, 2004) -- If anyone still has doubts about the City of Detroit's comeback, 10,318 participants in the Detroit Free Press / Flagstar Bank Marathon, half-marathon, Reebok relays and St. John's Health 5K surely helped erase such doubts. "Big-time running is back in Detroit," said one observer, who recalled races of 10,000 or more during the days of Emily's Detroit Runs in the early 1980's. Participants came from 47 countries, 45 states and all seven contents (One runner listed his registration as Antarctica).

Elena Orlova of Russia scored a big-time paycheck by winning with a course-record 2:34:55. She won $5,000 for first, $3,000 for the course record, and another $2,000 for breaking 2:40. The Ukraine's Valentina Poltavska finished in 2:38:10. Leigh Daniel, of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, was the first American woman to finish in 2:46:47.

Joseph Nderitu of Kenya thought the course was hard, but he overcame a fourth place at the ING Ottawa Marathon in May and a third place at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on September 26, 2004 to win easily in 2:19:15. Audrey Gordeyev of Belarus took second in 2:19:52. Kyle O'Brien of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project was the first American in 2:20:21. O'Brien battled University of Michigan alum Nick Stanko down the stretch for a close 3rd place. Stanko, in his marathon debut, took 4th in 2:20:29.

First-time marathoners with their distinguishing green bibs got extra cheers from the crowd gathered at the end of the tunnel and outside of Ford Field. Among those running his first marathon was Dan Mulhern, Michigan's "First Gentleman", husband of Governor Jennifer Granholm. "I did it," he proclaimed just after crossing the finish line. The Governor, along with the couple's daughter's Kate and Cecelia, sported neon-green T-shirts with the slogan "Dan's Fans" as they ran down the Ford Field tunnel with Mulhern. Mulhern accomplished two of his three goals for the race: raising money and awareness for Think Detroit, not-walking, and finishing in under four hours. His time of 4:00:59 barely missed that third goal.

Canadian Consul General Philip Lupul, who raised money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team In Training (TNT) program, finished the marathon in 4:29:31. According to the Michigan Chapter TNT's Tami Duquette, 178 TNT participants raised $318,000 for the organization's mission.

The inaugural half-marathon followed the marathon course through Corktown, Mexican Town, over the Ambassador Bridge, down the Windsor waterfront with its spectacular sculptures, through the Windsor/Detroit Tunnel before finishing in Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions football team. Patrick Lencioni, Ann Arbor, won in 1:14:11. Angela Plamondon of Ottawa, Ontario, won the women's half in 1:25:51.

Krige Schabort was the surprising winner (1:26:02) of the Wright and Filippis Handcycle competition-- surprising because Schabort holds the Detroit Wheelchair titles from 1998, 1999, 2002 and 2003 and is the 2003 ING New York City Marathon wheelchair champion. Schabort is a South African who lives in Cedartown, Georgia. Julie Bishop of Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota was first among the women handcyclists in 1:57:46.

Tricia Downing of Denver, Colorado won the women's wheelchair race in 2:53:56 while Tyler Byers of Tucson, Arizona took the men's title in 1:49:34.

Front Line Racing Team's Matthew Yacoub, Ryan Bissell, Bill Monnett, Robert Mitchell, and Thomas Preiss were the first across the line in the Reebok Team Relay in 2:22:22.

Winners of the St. John Health 5K Fun Run and Fitness Walk were Kael Stratton of Lansing (17:31) and Heather Kamps of Muskegon (19:38).

Race Director Patricia Ball Dlugokinski was delighted with the participation of 10,318-- up significantly from the 6478 who registered in 2003.

For complete results, see http://michiganrunner.net/results/searchable.html.