Oct 22, 2007 David Hunke - Free Press Publisher - Speaks about the Marathon By Doug Kurtis

Since 2005, David Hunke has served as president and publisher of the Detroit Free Press.



He arrived here just eight weeks before his first experience with the marathon. He thought about doing the 5km when he hurt his back so badly that he couldn’t get out of bed. He was suppose to be up at 4:30 am to have breakfast with sponsors and then help start the race with the governor and other dignitaries that he was dying to meet. All he could do was crawl down to the Detroit Breakfast House and watch runners from the sidelines.

The University of Kansas alumnus first impression of the event’s operations is being overwhelmed by how much work it takes to pull off the marathon and amazed at how well it overcomes so many obstacles with a high level of precision.

Since he’s been here, Hunke hasn’t seen another event in the region that brings folks together like the Detroit Free Press Flagstar Marathon. He said he worries a lot about how the city and suburbs see each other. “The marathon offer runners the opportunity to come down and celebrate the architecture and history in both Detroit and Windsor.”

“For those that had the opportunity to be a part of the marathon kick-off, you begin to see the charitable aspects of the event. The marathon is now a very big business with a big mission that has gone far beyond just simply that of a race.”

Hunke sees charities becoming part of the culture of running events. The Free Press has partnered with twenty-four charities. Probably no other race in the country has that many to choose from. He said, “I think you could see that number double. And I say why not. What a great way to have fun, bring people together and raise the kind of money they do. Charities will become a bigger part of our message.”

Hunke loves the route and seeing the families that come out to cheer runners. “One of my most vivid memories of the marathon was watching a finisher wrapped in his space blanket or heat shield while his children fought over his medal as they passed it back and forth between themselves.”

“The Ford Field finish was exciting but I think the new finish at Campus Martius has something celebratory about it. I love when I hear that everyone has made it over the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit Windsor Tunnel and that everything on that line worked well.”

“Our marathon has been the fastest growing event over the last five years. I have no reason to believe that our marathon won’t potentially become third largest marathon in the United States. It is the most powerful branding and marketing event that I think the Free Press could ever have. I’ll make whatever commitment we have to make, to not only keep it where it is now, but make it a showcase for Detroit and for running, health and our charitable partners.”

That commitment appears in the newspaper every week. The amount of advertising for the event has increased significantly under Hunke, creating enormous awareness.

Asked why the Free Press has continued to support the marathon for over thirty years, Hunke had this to say. “Being a newspaper is a tough job and we have to report some tough news and that can drag an organization down. The marathon has been a time when we can give back and it lifts the spirits of the community. It tells everybody that it takes a very big city to put this off and we are all lucky to be here celebrating all the good things about Detroit.”

“We have more people in our organization sign up to volunteer for the marathon than anything we do. And these employees come back year after year. In fact, I don’t think our employees would let us pull out.”

Marathon staffers have come away from expos they attend believing that the event creates a very positive image for the Detroit.
Hunke said, “The marathon, more than anything else, gives a great sense of value to our city and self esteem to this region. It’s fun to walk up to people on the street after the event and hear them say how much they enjoyed being in Detroit and Windsor.”