Detroit: A Surprisingly Beautiful Run

I was in Detroit for a conference last week, and had been apprehensive to run outside. Mostly, I was afraid it would be too cold. I was also worried that there wouldn't be anywhere good to run downtown near the hotel. My fears were unfounded.

Photo credit: Marriott.com

The Detroit Riverwalk is located directly outside the Renaissance Center, where I stayed. It goes about a half mile east, and 3 miles west down the Detroit River, which separates Detroit from Windsor, Canada. The Riverwalk is relatively new, well paved and lighted, and has plenty of amenities like benches, trash cans, and interactive signage. From a planning perspective, it is very well done.

From a running perspective, the Riverwalk is only slightly less spectacular. The Riverwalk doesn't go continuously west; in a few places, you have to go to the next street and back to the river. This is fine, but the first time I ran it is got a bit frustrating to go a quarter mile out to the water and then hit a dead end.

The weather was great- not any colder than it has been in Sacramento (maybe 40 degrees). On Tuesday, it was foggy and I couldn't see more than five feet across the water. I ran all the way to Belle Isle, a huge park in the middle of the river. The fog cleared by the time I got back to the hotel, and it was a nice view. Friday, I went out later, and had a great view the whole time.

Detroit, even in early November, gets an A+ as a running location!

Here is my long run on Garmin: