Martian Invasion of Races

The Martian Marathon may not have the absolute oddest or strangest inspiration for a road race out there, but it’s certainly got one of the most interesting stories around its genesis of any race.Set to mark its annual running this year, the race has already become one of the state’s most popular races, drawing nearly 4,000 runners and walkers to the full, half and kids’ marathons in each of the last few years.

The race gets its name from observing the movements of the planets in the solar system. As the timing of planetary orbiting would have it, Earth passes Mars in its orbit around the sun within two hours of the official starting time for the race, in every other year.So as our planet makes its way around the sun over 12 months, we lap our closest neighbor Mars every two years, which of course is reason enough to organize a marathon running around, isn’t it?!The race has certainly garnered the attention of spectators and participants, who come decked out for the occasion with “Martian” clothes and toys, and no doubt enjoy the big green Martian-style mile markers spread throughout the out-and-back course, which features a mix of hills and flat stretches that begin in Ford Park, near the edge of the University of Michigan-Dearborn campus.