Grace Nolan, elite runner, killed night before leading Freep marathon
A view of the Detroit Free Press Marathon’s start Sunday morning, Oct. 18, 2026. And a photo of Grace Nolan provided by her father, Jason Nolan.
Grace Nolan, a young Michigan runner who was set to lead the elite field this past weekend in the Detroit Free Press Marathon, was killed the night before the race in a crash.
Walled Lake accident
The backstory:
Two people were hurt and rushed to the hospital Saturday evening in a severe crash in Walled Lake, a suburb northwest of Detroit.
It happened on Decker Road, just south of N Pontiac Trail, and a neighbor nearby called 911 and helped at the scene.
Authorities haven’t given details on what caused the crash.
Grace Nolan killed in crash
What they're saying:
A public Facebook post from the family identified 25-year-old Grace Nolan as a victim of the crash, and said she died. She was in the car with her boyfriend at the time, who also was seriously injured but is expected to survive.
"If you knew Grace, I don't need to tell you what an amazing human she was, truly extraordinary. Daughter, sister, girlfriend, friend, mentor, scholar, athlete, comedian....those are just a few of the ways to begin describing Grace," wrote her family.
The Freep Marathon also shared the news on social media, saying Nolan was set to lead their women’s elite field at the marathon on Sunday. It would have been her second marathon and her second time running the Freep Marathon.
"To Grace’s family, friends, teammates, coaches and classmates: we hold you close and grieve with you. Grace, thank you for the light you brought to every start line. You will always be part of this race," the organization wrote.
Dig deeper:
Nolan was a second-year medical student at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, and was working toward her third Oakland Degree.
Image: Jason Nolan
She was a three-time All-Horizon League First Team cross country runner.
In her final collegiate season she won the Horizon League 10,000m title with a championship record, and she was named the league’s 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year nominee.
What's next:
Her family says a celebration of life is planned for Oct. 31 at Oakland University. The family plans to release more details soon.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from social media posts written by Grace Nolan’s Family, The Detroit Free Press Marathon and Oakland University.