Andy Bowman Three-Peats at Detroit Marathon in Event Record 2:12:15

Andy Bowman did not wait for anyone on Sunday morning. The 32-year-old from Ferndale led the Detroit Free Press Marathon from start to finish, won his third straight men's title, and broke a record that had stood for 46 years. His unofficial time was 2:12:15. The old event record, 2:13:07, was set by Greg Meyer in 1980.

Bowman crossed the finish line in downtown Detroit 52 seconds under Meyer's mark. For a hometown runner, on a chilly October morning, it was the complete race: the win, the three-peat, and the record, all at once.

Allison Sherman of Lake Orion won the women's race. Her unofficial time was 2:43:30. She crossed first among the women in the 49th running of the event.

Why it matters

Records that survive 46 years usually survive because the conditions never quite line up. Meyer set his mark in 1980, and Detroit runners have chased it ever since. Bowman beat it while also defending a title for the second time, which meant there was no sitting back and running for place. He had to run the fastest race in the event's history just to keep his streak.

The winner is local, too. Bowman is from Ferndale, one of Detroit's closest suburbs, and Sherman is from Lake Orion in Oakland County. On a day when thousands of visiting runners take over downtown, the two fastest finishers were Michigan runners racing close to home.

The context

The Detroit race is one of the few marathons in the world that crosses an international border, and the Free Press coverage was full of runners talking about being cheered in two countries on the same morning. Carlos Brito, 49, of Ann Arbor, who is originally from Ecuador, ran his third international half-marathon in Detroit. "It's a really good feeling, it's amazing to be in two countries at the same time and then the people are the same, people are good here, good there," Brito told the Free Press.

For most of the field, the day is not about records at all. Bryan Joyce, 42, of Detroit, ran his second international half-marathon. Joyce has asthma. "Running was not my thing and I actually have asthma, so this is a personal accomplishment," he told the Free Press. "To be able to do this, to run continuously, to run this far is an indicator of my own personal health, and then to do it among a group of people is, I mean, it's exciting."

That mix is what fills the streets every October: one man chasing a 46-year-old record at the front, and thousands of people behind him chasing something personal.

Key numbers

• 2:12:15, Andy Bowman's unofficial winning time, a new event record
• 2:13:07, Greg Meyer's old record, set in 1980 and beaten by 52 seconds
• 3, Bowman's straight men's titles at the Detroit marathon
• 2:43:30, Allison Sherman's unofficial winning time in the women's race
• 49, editions of the Detroit Free Press Marathon after Sunday's race
• 46, years the old record stood

What happens next

Next year is the 50th edition, and runners were already talking about it at the finish. One finisher told the Free Press he would be back for the 50th and planned to sign up on January 1. Bowman, meanwhile, now owns the mark everyone else will chase. The next runner who wants the Detroit record has to beat 2:12:15, and has to beat the man who set it if Bowman comes back to defend a fourth straight title.