We are barely 5 weeks away from the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon presented by Greektown Casino. Although marathoners can enter right up through race weekend it would be a lot cheaper and less worrisome with customs and immigration to sign up before this weekend's postmark deadline. Entries are also pouring in for the Reebok Relays that has a cap of 500 teams. The finish in Ford Field will make the Compuware 5km one of the most interesting courses in the state and a great opportunity for non-marathons and walkers to enjoy some of the marathon excitement. Today's column is my sixth installment celebrating the 25 year history of the marathon.

1994: The course, major sponsors and race directors remained the same. 2,200 volunteers were well organized by 14 year veteran volunteer Annette Sebestin. The first volunteer to sign up was Terri Grafton a Newspapers in Education representative for the Detroit Newspapers. Her husband Samuel a seasoned marathoner was on pace to run a sub four hour marathon at 22 miles before he collapsed and died of a heart attack. It was the first death in the 17 year history of the event. In just her second marathon, May Allison of Toronto cruised away from second place finisher Ann Boyd at the half way mark and set a new women's course record with a time of 2:34:55. Starting out at a methodical pace, Don John's of Ottawa Lake, who several months earlier had won the Grandma's Marathon, reeled in a pack of four runners over 300 yards ahead to climb to the top of the victory stand with a time of 2:21:24. Gary Morgan of Clarkston broke the race walking record with a 3:39:41. Two wheelers from Champaign, IL captured the gold. 22 year old James Briggs was the third person of the day to set a course record, knocking over a minute off the wheeler record with a 1:37:15. Ann Walters easily won her third Freep Marathon in 2:07:58.

1995: IMG � International Management Group an organization that also oversees the Grand Prix took over the marathon earlier in the year. Technical Operations were taken over by former Columbus race director Doug Thurston. Major changes included offering a car to the male and female overall winners, staging the 5km on Sunday rather than Saturday and making the finish line more festive for family and friends. Two newcomers to the winner's circle took home the keys to a Mazda 626 LX. Toronto's Mike McGowan ran a three minute PR � 2:18:11 and did it all by himself over the last half of the course.  Ann Boyd finally reached the Freep winners circle in 2:38:36, her first victory in several years. There were no record times for the wheelers this year as strong crosswinds slowed Tom Sellers and Deanna Sodoma's race to the winner's tape.

1996: After a 13 year absence from the winner's circle, Cindy Barber-Keeler used her mother's advice to be patient and it paid off. At 38, her mature racing captured the women's championship with a 2:43:36. Paul Aufdemburge couldn't hold his big lead and the more experienced marathoner, Mike Dudley of Morgantown, WV blew by him at 21 miles to win the race in 2:20:50. Last year's wheeler's champions repeated. Sellers beat Don Dowling and John Gilger by 2 seconds. Sodoma set a new course record for the women in 1:59:26 despite going off course.

1997: After several years of slower men's times and tough weather, everything came together this year. Brad Hudson of Boulder, Colorado battled Jerod Neas of Princeton, NJ to finish in 2:15:50. Cindy Keeler couldn't repeat but played the bridesmaid to Albuquerque, New Mexico's Lyubov Klotchko. Her 2:43:47 was 4 minutes up on Keeler. Don Dowling and Traci Miller were the wheeler winners.