Crowd expected at Huntington Place Friday as Trump and Freep marathon events coincide

Runners should expect congestion at and around Huntington Place Friday afternoon and evening as a Trump campaign event coincides with the Health & Fitness Expo for The 47th annual Detroit Free Press Marathon presented by MSU Federal Credit Union, held at the same downtown Detroit venue.

Trump, who is making his 13th visit to Michigan this year, is scheduled to speak at Huntington Place, formerly known as Cobo Hall, at 7 p.m. Friday. Doors for the event open at 3 p.m. and Trump rallies often draw long lines of attendees hours before doors open. A Trump campaign spokeswoman could not immediately say Wednesday how many attendees are expected for the Huntington rally.

Marathon organizers on Wednesday adjusted some plans for the expo, which runs from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, is free and open to the public and is where race participants pick up their race bibs. Organizers are expecting more than 50,000 guests at the expo Friday and Saturday, according to a Wednesday news release. The expo also features Detroit Free Press Marathon apparel and vendors selling running gear, clothing, nutritional items, technology, and more.

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“We appreciate all the folks who are working extra hard to make sure bib pickup runs smoothly and the expo remains a great experience for our guests. We particularly want to shout out the Huntington Place and Convention & Show Services staff, the Teamsters helping build out our expo space, my dedicated race staff and our tremendous volunteers,” said Aaron Velthoven, the marathon vice president and race director. “We’re Detroiters, and we’re going to roll up our sleeves and get the job done.”

The marathon's international course requires participants to attend the expo in person and present their international travel documents to pick up bibs for Sunday races.

The expo will run from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, as initially planned, but Saturday hours, initially scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will be extended from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Also, the expo is being relocated to Hall A from Hall B, to move it to the northern end of the facility, closer to Congress Street and further away from the Trump security perimeter.

Entrances to the two events will be at opposite ends of the building and those attending the expo will not be required to go through security, a Trump campaign official said.

The Huntington Center's rooftop deck will be closed to parking from noon to 2 p.m. Friday, and after that on Friday, cars will be subject to security inspection by the Secret Service, resulting in delays. Expo attendees are generally advised to avoid the rooftop parking Friday. Those who do use the roof are encouraged to use Tower One or Tower Two elevators to reach the concourse, as Tower Three will bring them into the security area for the Trump event.

"I think it's awesome that they're extending their Saturday hours," said Danyelle Morrow of Westland, who is running her first marathon Sunday and also running the 5K on Saturday, which makes her feel it may be necessary to pick up her marathon bib on Friday to avoid complications with her travel documents while also participating in a Saturday event.

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"A lot of people are really concerned about congestion and traffic," Morrow said.

"They're doing a great job with this last-minute change that has been thrown at all of us."

The Detroit Police Department will be directing traffic on Washington Avenue but there could be other street closures in the area.

"We are aware of the increased presence and working with federal and local partners to ensure a safe visit as we have done so with prior visits," a Detroit Police Department spokesman said Wednesday. "We are guided by the Secret Service for adequate staffing and (have) no listed traffic restriction at this time."

For the first time, many of the marathon events are sold out. That includes all the Sunday races the Marathon, the International Half Marathon, the Motor City Half Marathon, and the Marathon Relay.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trump and Freep marathon events to coincide Friday at Huntington Place