University of Detroit Mercy alumna Allison Sherman ’24 became the first Titan to win the Detroit Free Press Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 18.
A former UDM student-athlete and Electrical Engineering graduate, Sherman donned her Titan uniform and was the first woman to cross the finish line, posting a time of 2:43:29 in the 49th running of the Detroit Free Press Marathon.
Sherman and her teammates would volunteer at the marathon as part of a UDM cross country and track and field program tradition. But she never imagined that she would one day win the competition.
“I remember my freshman year, we were down there just cheering on all those runners, and now I have completed multiple marathons myself,” Sherman said. “I never would have thought I would be in a position to win the marathon in my hometown, where I went to school and to represent the University wearing my jersey.
“It is truly amazing. It was awesome to see the Detroit Mercy community out there and cheering me on.”
Sherman said her goal for the Detroit Free Press Marathon “was to run as fast as possible.” However, her race-winning time did not become her new PR.
While competing for the Titans, Sherman earned All-Horizon League four times — including two First Team spots — and was runner-up at the 2022 Horizon League Championship. In track and field, she holds the school record in the 10,000 meters and scored multiple times at league meets.
Sherman also excelled in the classroom as a student in the College of Engineering & Science. She was named to the Detroit Mercy Athletic Director’s Honor Roll five times.
In 2024, Sherman received UDM’s President Award, a prestigious honor given to a graduating senior who has shown academic and athletic excellence and embodies being a Titan.
Seeing her family as she approached the finish line of the Detroit Free Press Marathon is a moment Sherman said she will always remember.
“My parents were down there at the finish line, and I got to see them first and then my fiancé Jacob and his parents,” Sherman said. “They were all in the warming tent with me. My sister came after she ran the half, her first marathon — she finished just before I did and was in the corral when they announced I had won it, so she came right over.”
That support is meaningful to Sherman, who will compete in the New York City Marathon on Nov. 1.
“My parents were really proud. My dad spent lots of runs on the bike next to me. Having him next to me meant so much, and so did having my whole family there. I know they were extremely proud.”