Pros:
The race was well organized. Traffic was well controlled at busy intersections and there were no problems getting in and out of Wilmington. The post-race tent was hands down the best I've seen in the 5 marathons I've run so far. Plenty of food including ice cream, pizza, sandwiches, pretzels, fruit, bagels and several drink choices. The course was relatively flat with only a few gradual, medium-length hills. You should be able to get a good finishing time on this course.

Cons:
The course itself is the biggest con (despite being a fast course). The course consists of a 10-mile loop and a 5.4-mile loop run 3 times. The 10-mile loop is definitely the highlight, since it winds through a nice city park. The 5-mile loop, however, works its way through some very unremarkable areas of Wilmington. In the end, as a visitor to Wilmington, you will be left wondering, "Is this all there is to see in Wilmington?" Also, while there was a nice turnout of family and friends at the finish line, there seemed to be almost a complete lack of interest in the race amongst the locals.

One technical issue is that the 5-mile loop had an "orange cone" turnaround point, which I really think should be avoided in marathons. Coming to a near stop to turn around a cone after running 20+ miles can really throw off one's rhythm (mine anyways!).

To conclude, kudos to the organizers for a smooth operation and providing music and a great post-race tent.

As an overall experience, I'm not sure you will be falling in love with Wilmington after the visit, but if your focus is on a PR, this race is a good choice.

The first 10 miles are nice: waterfront and park. The three 5.4-mile out-and-back trips are terrible. It goes out into some nasty areas. You end up seeing the same areas six times (out and back). Runners are lapping other runners... it's just a mess. Why not do the 10-mile course two and a half times? Food and massage area at the end were great. Unfortunately, the worst course of the 25 marathons I've run.

I ran this race last year and really enjoyed it for the most part. This year, however, something was just different about it.

Yet again, there was top-notch organization. Regular emails updated you as to details of the race, expo, etc. including the warning about the graduation that popped up. The expo is not anything spectacular, but it is very easy to pick up your number; it's not crowded and the workers are very friendly.

The course, still leaves a little to be desired. The 4 laps aren't terrible, but the three 5.4-mile loops through the middle of nowhere really need to go. The 10-mile loop is great and runs along the Brandywine River. I would suggest 2 laps around the 10-mile portion and then limit the trips through dirty neighborhoods. The one overpass you go under greeted you with some homeless people and the smell of urine, not to mention that farther into the 5.4-loops, some of the locals were making rude comments to the female runners. The course really needs to be re evaluated. The only other comment on the course would be that on the back end of the 5.4-mile loops there was an aid station that only had water. It was the only station that didn't have Gatorade, which to me didn't make sense.

The volunteers are TOP-NOTCH and ultra supportive!! and the fans are always supportive and cheer you on by your name or number.

Then there some minor things: The tech shirt left something to be desired this year. Ugly design. Last year's wicking t-shirt was really nice!! Another thing that still gets me is that you do all the training, spend countless hours preparing and running this race and when you finish, you get handed a medal in a plastic bag. It's a small detail that can mean the world to someone (especially first-timers!!). I've done a few marathons that put the medal around your neck; it really makes you feel good. It's more of a pat on the back than a medal in a plastic bag, like they could care less. I was also, surprised that there was no reference on anything about the 5th anniversary.

The bobblehead trophies for the age groupers and winners is still by far the best thing I've seen in any race I've done. Also, the New Balance tent was selling "Del. Marathon Class of 2008" shirts with everyone's name on it. I thought that was a neat idea.

This has the potential to be a great race, and like the earlier comment, it's a shame that it's mainly out-of-staters checking off DE for their 50 states. I think an improved course with fewer laps would do wonders for this race and maybe even allow it to expand its field to more then 600. It still is a great race for spectators, and the runner that needs a lot of support (you can see your family and friends four times - and they don't have to move thanks to the laps).

Not sure if I'll be back next year.

As in the past, I continued to appreciate many things about this race: the varied multi-loop course, the helpful volunteers and the overall festive atmosphere.

Since this is the only road marathon in Delaware, it is a great place to meet runners from all across the country, whose hobby (like mine) is collecting marathons.

I will return for the fifth time in 2009.

Admittedly, this race was the pick for "Delaware? check!'" but there is much positive to note about the Delaware Marathon.

I found this event very well organized, ranging from the excellent communications with the accommodating race staff, to on-site logistics including parking and packet pick-up (with some nice goody-bag perks), to a good array of post-race food and beverages - even for those of us out there a good while.

As for the course... multiple loops were of no concern going in (I do all my long runs repeating the same compact 3-mile route, anyway). The final time around did get the better of me, though I'm certain that was more the product of my own struggles that day. As noted by others here, the longer first loop was indeed "prettier," but the shorter, repeated loop was quite bearable. I will note that the short concrete sections along the water were a tad tough, but sometimes such a price must be paid.

Traffic control was good, as we had what seemed to be every policeman in Delaware working the course.

The course was also very spectator-friendly, and the numerous pockets of onlookers were very supportive.

Aid stations were plentiful and staffed by large numbers of exceptional, encouraging volunteers (even those fibbing souls telling us how great we still looked).

Having the 10-mile and marathon relay runners come galloping past at various points was a tad disconcerting, but I'm not sure how that can be avoided. Having a longer interval between start times might help, but perhaps that's already been considered.

The only other "complaint" I could muster during the race was the lack of the forecast cloud cover and showers, which would've been welcomed at various points. The resulting sun and warmth were hardly the fault of the organizers, but I did wind up feeling like a greasy diner breakfast... I was fried and my legs were toast.

All in all, as a marathon director myself, I give this event high marks.

I was a little wary of a four-loop course, but despite some congestion in spots, it gave a cozy feel to the race. The section along the Brandywine was beautiful. The great volunteers at the water tables and turns remembered you each time you passed, and spectators could concentrate in good locations. Since we passed it four times, I found the finish line okay. The post-race food and festivities were very good. I would recommend this race to anyone.

I just returned home from running the 2008 DE Marathon. I have run over 40 marathons and few are as well-organized as this one - including Boston, which I have completed 9.75 times.

The 5.4-mile loop did get a little "old" after the first time, but it is basically flat and free of traffic, with tons of water stations.

The 10-mile loop is much nicer and I would welcome a second trip on it, but imagine controlling traffic for a second loop may be difficult.

The only suggestions for improvement are really minor. I would prefer the faster 10-milers and relay runners to start ahead of me, or start more than five minutes after. Even though I finished 63rd overall in the full marathon, I was passed many times by these other "fresher" runners and found it a little distracting. But, that is a minor issue that I'll get over.

The other comments are regarding the aid stations. They were numerous, which is good. However, at least one was placed immediately before a mile marker, making it tough to record an accurate split and get a drink. Also, I like to wash down the sports drink with water, so it is preferable to place sports drink in the beginning of the station and water at the end. Most of the stations at DE were the opposite, requiring me to carry the water until after I get the sports drink. This is manageable, so it is not a big issue.

I recommend this race, particularly for first-timers, because they really are well organized and look out for the runners' needs.

The race was good, with beautiful scenery. There were long porta potty lines at the start of race, but we needed a volunteer to direct the line. Very encouraging, nice, and friendly volunteers directing runners during the race and giving out water!! Great staff at medical tent. Great food after race.

We needed more volunteers to direct runners to the right finish line because the one guy that was directing the marathon people was talking to a person, and I finished in the wrong chute. Overall, a nice race!!

I have run a 5K here (Tour de Lance) with a similar number of runners with better everything for less money. The lack of total road closures led to some pretty close calls between motorists and runners on Walnut St. While running on the 9 to 10 ft. path along the river (where many runners are in different stages of their run), the motorcycle barreling through the pack (because the lead runner was lapping people) led to another close call for runners and motorized vehicles. The crowd running towards each other in different stages was an ongoing obstacle that would not have been so bad if the road was closed so you had more than 8ft of area to run in. The run through the park on the first ten mile loop was nice and the bobble head trophy I received was also nice. I just do not know where the entry money went in this race. It could be a great race, but maybe this is why the majority of runners are 50 staters, not the locals.

This was my first marathon, but have run a few since then to compare. This is actually a decent small course. I was initially skeptical upon arriving at packet pick-up and seeing one lonely tent in the middle of an empty parking lot, but a lot of little things warmed me up to this race. The goodies you get are actually useful (good tote, note paper, plastic massage thing). I was stunned to see everyone's name printed out on the course. The parts of the run along the rivers are beautiful. I was also surprised to see bands in a race this small. This is the most food I've seen at the end of a race, which included pizza, ice cream sandwiches, and freshly cut fruit piled high. The officers manning the intersections were great.

Unfortunately, the parts of the race not along the river were, well, the opposite of scenic. They hadn't roped off all the side streets, and one car attempted to turn onto the course, causing several terrified runners to jump out of the way. Also, the finish line set-up wasn't clear to this first-timer, causing me to run through the wrong gate and not have an official finish time (though I eventually found it). In retrospect, the gate you run through for the finish was fairly obvious.

Overall, I give it a solid B-. This course really has a warm regional feel to it, and the race organizers put enough unexpectedly nice touches into the race that I'd run it again after my 50-state quest is over.