Detroit Marathon 2012 preview: Annual international race returns Sunday

The 34th annual Detroit Free Press Marathon is Sunday in Detroit. The races start at 6:58 a.m. when the disabilities division starts. The full and half marathons and five-person relay get started at 7 a.m., the U.S. only half marathon starts at 7:25 a.m. and the 5K starts at 11 a.m.

The course takes runners along the Detroit River, across the Ambassador Bridge into Canada and through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. See the entire course here. The course passing through the Windsor Tunnel makes the Detroit Free Press Marathon the only race that goes through an underwater tunnel in the world.

Three straight North Americans have won the men's marathon — Americans Nicholas Stanko in 2009 and Jordan Desilets in 2010 and Canadian Derek Nakluski in 2011. Prior to that streak, an American hadn't won since 1999. Eight Kenyans and one European won between 1999 and 2009.

Just three American women have won since 2000 — Lisa Veneziano in 2000, Lupe Hegan in 2001 and Sarah Plaxton in 2009.

More information is available on the Detroit Free Press Marathon website.