Photo essay: Detroit at her best

The Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank marathon took place Sunday and gave thousands of people a view of Detroit at her best.

One runner was Steve Savich, a Chicago ad man and photographer. He asked if he could share his view of Detroit with the blog, and I loved the idea.

"Being a former resident of St. Clair Shores, the city of Detroit has a special place in my heart,” Savich said. "I lived in St. Clair Shores for the first 23 years of my life (well, I spent four years in Mt. Pleasant as I attended Central Michigan University) only to move to Chicago for a job offer three years ago.

"I had an internship at the Scarab Club in Detroit, which eventually led me to the job in Chicago. I decided to skip the Chicago marathon and run in Detroit's, mainly because I know it's going to be a big moment in my life and I'd rather experience that moment in my real home, Detroit.

"The one thing that I got from the race was camaraderie and the openness and warmth of residents. In many of the neighborhoods they were saying things like, "Welcome to Corktown" or "Enjoy your run through Indian Village."

"The marathon was a great experience and I beat my goal time by 23 minutes, finishing at 3:37:30. The crowd throughout the marathon was extremely supportive and I think I got some great shots of the city. Also, the pace groups were extremely supportive and there was great camaraderie within each. If it wasn't for the 3:40:00 pace group, I don't think I would've finished."

To look at all of Steve's photos, go here.