Medals Are Real Attraction To Marathon Runners

DETROIT (WWJ) -  The Free Press marathon leaves most other races in the dust when it comes to its medals for finishers.

Marathon and Beyond magazine ranks Detroit's 2011 medal, which featured images of a car and downtown Detroit buildings, 15th out of 400 U.S. marathons.

Editor Rich Benyo says today's runners are choosing races based on what's waiting for them at the finish line:

"It is fascinating these days that a lot of the runners base the races they are going to do on what kind of medals the race has, it's a whole new phenomenon," said Benyo.

Benyo says the best ones, in their view, have a theme that closely links the race with its city.

Topping the list is the Route 66 marathon in Oklahoma. Its medal is centered around the hood ornament from a 1941 Cadillac.