Mike Andersen and Courtney Brewis were the men’s and women’s champions in the Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon, Sun., Oct. 19 in the Motor City.

Andersen, 27, of Walled Lake, Mich., snatched victory in the last 200 yards as he passed the leader and defending champion Zachary Ornelas, 23, of Ann Arbor, Mich., to win in 2:24:54.

Ornelas was clocked in 2:25:09, and Terence Attema, 24, of Smithville, Mich., wasn’t that far behind either of them as he finished third in 2:25:50.

Andersen, who ran track at the University of Dayton and is now the cross-country coach at Milford High, commented on the biggest victory of his running career: “I knew I had something left turning the last corner. I got married this year, we had a baby, so I’m a little emotional right now. I’m just happy.”

Sunday’s race was only his fourth marathon ever. He had finished third in this race in 2011.

“I got lucky in 2011 and lucky again today,” he said after the race. “Until I turned that last corner, I was trailing for 25 or 26 miles. I coach, I go to work each day and take care of my family – God, I feel great and I think I earned this.

“I can’t believe it. I just stayed positive throughout the race. My wife (Katie) is here with me, and we have Alexandra, who was born in March. We call her Ali – our little bug.”

Ornelas, who’s been hampered by a hip injury, looked like he had a repeat victory within his grasp until Andersen powered by him with the finish line in sight.

Afterwards Ornelas said, exhibiting great sportsmanship, “He just motored by. I’m not really disappointed. I’ve been fighting an injury. I would have been happy to finish in the top 10. I’ve learned some things and I’ll be back next year. Mike was too good today.”

The women’s winner on Sunday in Detroit was 23-year-old Courtney Brewis of Dearborn, Mich. Running in only her second marathon and concerned she might be overtaken in the closing stages of the race, she finished in 2:45:52 to exceed any expectations she had going into the race.

“I’m from the Metro Detroit area and it’s just great to come out and win this,” she said after the race. “It was one of my goals to run a marathon, but winning in only my second – wow!”

Brewis, who had run in the NCAA championships when she was attending Grand Valley State, finishing “eighth in the 10K and I think about 12^th in the 5K,” took control of the women’s race early on Sunday, but she wasn’t sure she could maintain her pace or protect her lead to the end.

“I felt pretty good until the 15- or 16-mile mark. But it was kind of a grind from there. It was a real learning experience.

“I wasn’t sure until the very end that I could win. The last half of the race was very tough for me.

“It’s a good course, not too many hills, but tough in the beginning. I’d heard the Belle Isle portion was tough but it wasn’t too bad because the wind was pretty low today. So that part was good.”

Joining Brewis in the top three of the women’s race in Detroit were Lyubov Denisova and Valentyna Poltavska, both 43 and both from New York City, who ran the race together and finished in 2:47:33 and 2:47:34.

The thousands of runners in Sunday’s race started early in the morning when the temperature was just above freezing. Fortunately, the temperature warmed up nicely as the sun rose in the sky.

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