Delaware Marathon
Wilmington, DE USA
April 6, 2025
Marathon Results
By Year: | 2024 2023 2022 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 Top 3 Finishers |
Race Details
2 loop course starting and finishing at Tubman Park on the Wilm. Riverfront using the Wilm. Parks system, residential neighborhoods, Little Italy, and Brandywine Park.
Contact Information
Name: | Wayne Kursh | |
Address: | CCHS
Delaware Marathon PO Box 24 Montchanin, DE 19710 |
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Phone Number: | 302-654-6400 | |
Email: | Email the organizers |
Runner Reviews (170)
S. E. from MA
(5/4/2023)
"Gorgeous course but prepare for hills!" (about: 2023)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Delaware Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first race since 2020 (Austin) and it was a wonderful experience. The course was really quite beautiful and the weather was perfect. The first quarter of the race had lots (LOTS!) of steep uphills and steady inclines, but if you make it through that, the rest of the race is downhill and/or flat. As a previous racer mentioned, I also found it odd that the Riverwalk area was not at least partially blocked off for marathoners - not even signage letting people know that a race was going on. It was a bit annoying to have to dodge clueless pedestrians from mile 25-26. However, the back half of the course was really easy going and well supported. I was surprised how much I liked this race! Word of warning: Wilmington is a funny little town and everything (EVERYTHING) is shut down on Sunday. We were hoping to dine out, but the only restaurants open were Chinese delivery. Very bizarre but be prepared!! | |
K. B. from Colorado Springs, CO
(4/24/2023)
"Hilly First Half, Flat Back Half" (about: 2023)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Delaware Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I am so thankul we did not have to do the first half loop twice. The first half is picturesque and lovely, but features significant climbs and fairly long downhills. The course is mostly closed for the first half. The second half is mostly flat out and back on a bike trail, which allows a fairly small number of marathoners to have some more time since it does not require further road closures. (7hour course limit) That said, the trail and the busy waterfront area are not closed, so it was a bit odd having to dodge people out walking and such. It really felt like two totally separate races. (And for the record, I liked the second half better because the bike trail away from the waterfront was super quiet, which I enjoyed ... it felt like a nice, supported training run.) By the time I got to the finish line, it was pretty much a ghost town, unsurprising since there were a lot more half marathoners than full marathoners. All in all, this is a very convenient race for anyone in the northeast; it served as my Delaware marathon for the 50 states, and overall I was pleased by the experience. Train for hills though. | |
S. D. from Bloomsburg, PA
(4/29/2019)
"Fun smaller marathon" (about: 2019)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Delaware Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first time running this marathon and I was very impressed. It was a smaller event (around 350 marathon finishers but also half and relay participants as well). The first half of the marathon was run with the half so there were more runners and spectators for entertainment. The second half was an out and back along a rail trail that was new. While this was scenic and mostly flat, it was definitely lacking in spectators which made for some lonely miles as the number of runners had also thinned out. All the volunteers along the entire course, but especially the cyclist course marshalls in the second half were so amazing and supportive. Really great organization from packet pickup, starting area, and finish area. Would definitely recommend this race, great time of year, course, and a good tour of the city of Wilmington. | |
A. J. from OH
(5/3/2018)
"Always a good time" (about: 2018)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Delaware Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I have done this race the past three years, and i really enjoy coming to the area for the race. It's a small race, and a loop course but still enjoyable. Some of the on course organization later in the day was lacking, as the majority of the runners run the half. The Food after the race is always pretty good, and you get multiple beers. I have run a lot of marathons, and i wouldn't say this one would be the best one ever, but everyone is really nice in the area. There are some fun things to do, and have really enjoyed traveling here from out of state the past three years to spend two days in Delaware | |
F. K. from Philadelphia, PA
(5/17/2017)
"Still the top choice in Delaware" (about: 2017)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Delaware Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I'm a firm believer the Delaware Marathon is still the best race to run in Delaware. Its small and mostly locals but convenient to everyone on the Amtrak NE corridor as well unlike the other major marathon in the state. On a nice day the waterfront area makes for a great post race family celebration and Wilmington has plenty of other underrated neighborhoods for food and drink. There has been a lot of trolling on facebook about the takeover of this race by Corrigan with people complaining about literally every change. If you read the comments it is truly ridiculous. Joel Schiller had done an amazing job with this race for many years for which he should be commended, but its still a small intimate race in a convenient and underrated city. The one comment I will agree with is that this race should have pace groups for at least some of the popular paces. The double loop is a tad boring but its still a great race for locals and 50 staters alike. The course itself is half flat, half hilly, and the hills shouldn't be underestimated when doing them twice. | |
B. W. from Pennsylvania
(5/16/2017)
"The Bloom is Off This Rose" (about: 2017)
50+ previous marathons
| 4-5 Delaware Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 For many years, this was a delightful small city race, low key enough where you truly felt valued as participant, high class enough to rank with the best of them in terms of support, runner engagement, and what is a marathon is supposed to be about - the race. For four years, this was a 'must-do' on my calendar because it truly was a jewel in the marathon circuit. Then in comes Corrigan Sports, clearly with a mindset of seeing how they can trash such a pristine gem, and boy did they ever succeed. Suddenly this is the next Rock n' Roll-esque nightmare, with things you MUST print, umpteen pick up locations (in THREE states, but you still have to come to the site to pick up the shirt), a deluge of e-mails (most of which just promote themselves), 'celebration village', two-days-two-races-TWO medals. Oh, and - Look at us! Look at us! LOVE us!! - the whole time. You wanted the guy next door, and instead you get the narcissistic football captain forcing himself on you and telling him how lucky you are to breathe his air. Dudes, we sought a marathon, not a Kardashian. None of what they 'added' to this race was wanted, none was requested, none was needed. No marathoner thought, 'Gosh, what would make this race better is a 5K the day before!' No past participant believes that the cookie-cutter 'celebration village' topped what had been the absolute best post-race assortment of food. And how pathetic our life was before, without the 'virtual goody bag' to complete it (because providing an actual bag would be asking too much). It is as if Corrigan took over the beautiful home next door, ripped out the landscaping, tore out the ornate woodwork, starting blaring music out the windows, and then begged you to come over and play with the new cool kids. Meanwhile, they have more demands than a prospective employer. You MUST read this. You MUST print this. You MUST go here, then HERE, then HERE. This is REQUIRED. You pick up your bib in one location, then walk across an empty parking lot to pick up the shirt. Ummmm, this is a ~350 person marathon, one which we PAID to do, which did just fine without this drama for the last dozen years. What they've done is take something easy and make it more difficult for purposes of, well, no one is exactly sure, other than they've been strong-arming participants at races across the Mid-Atlantic for years, so heck, why not? Mind you, the race has not changed in size or in scope, just the size of ego by the management, which currently has outgrown Texas. Last I checked on Facebook, their ads for the Baltimore Marathon (er, 'Running Festival') were touting, 'From the creators of the Delaware (Marathon) Running Festival'. To build upon a thought from Lloyd Bentsen, 'Corrigan, I served with the creators of the Delaware Running Festival. I knew the creators of the Delaware Running Festival. The creators of the Delaware Running Festival were friends of mine. Corrigan, you did not create the Delaware Running Festival'. The creators of the DMRF are no doubt cringing at what you've done to their years of hard work. The new DMRF is a sight for dismay. The shirts still had their price tags, the kind of gift you give to someone when you're trying to show how much you spent. They eliminated water stations, and understaffed most of the rest. Instead of the long-time, knowledgeable volunteers of the past, they offer a group where the median age seems to be 12, and those in the marshaling role seem much more interested in the phones in their hand than the traffic coming down the street. Some intersections (13th Street, for example) had no traffic control at all. Once you finish, you snake your way past some cavernous, forlorn tents with apples and bananas, then weave your way into the masses to find where they might be serving the rest of the post-race food. Mind you, there are no signs, no directions, nothing but a we've-got-your-money-now-go-away feeling. The new owners are already saying they are going to move this race to the last week in April for 2018, placing it closer to Boston, the week after the other spring marathon in Delaware, the same weekend as New Jersey and Gettysburg. They claim that the Mother's Day date affects attendance, imagining we're all dumb enough not to realize that Mother's Day and the Delaware Marathon shared dates every year from 2012 to 2016. This year had the fewest number of finishers in the 14-year history of the event. What changed? Any guesses? I will not be doing this event in April/May 2018, and unless you enjoy being treated like a number and run through the mill like a poor farm animal, I might recommend searching for one of the many better options in this time frame. Spring is a time of roses, and there are plenty of vibrant flowers to be found. Sadly, just no longer on the racing circuit in Wilmington, Delaware. | |
D. G. from Central Jersey
(5/14/2016)
"Beautiful, but tough course. I really enjoyed!" (about: 2016)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Delaware Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I really had a lot of fun in Delaware. This is not the easiest course to qualify for Boston in. It was such a delight though. The course was beautiful as it went through the city neighborhoods, along the river and through parks. The lemon water-ice that they gave out in Little Italy was such a help. And I had enjoyed it twice since it was a 2 loop course! So grateful for all the course support. | |
B. B. from Pittsburgh, Pa
(5/9/2016)
"Really Good Mid Size Race" (about: 2016)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Delaware Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I really liked this race. Great organization from registration to finish line with easy logistics. A double loop with a staging area in a park. Free, easy parking for both the race and expo-held at the same park-about 1/4 mile from the finish line. The course was scenic and challenging, but not ridiculously so. The last mile included a tough uphill, then a glorious downhill to the finish. Lots of miles through parks and leafy neighborhoods in between. Plenty of water and food on course. The course was open in spots, but traffic was not a problem. The best swag that I've ever seen. Nice short sleeve tech shirt, pint glass, runner's hat, tote bag, and interesting medal. This is the better option for a road marathon in Delaware in my opinion. After the race head up to the Philly suburbs to quench your thirst. World of Beer in Exton, and Kennett Brewing Company in Kennett Square are both first rate. | |
J. H. from Boston, MA
(5/9/2016)
"Nice course, but everything else lacking" (about: 2016)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Delaware Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Just ran this race yesterday (5/8/2016). The course is really nice, and scenic which travels through parts of town and along both rivers. There are some tough long hills particularly one stretch at miles 7-6 and then against at miles 20-21 - the course is a double loop. I wouldn't use it to try to BQ/PR. However, it's nice to have a long stretch of downhill on miles 24 and 25 that will recharge you for the mile 26 hill and strong finish. That's the good part. The organization is only adequate. The week before the marathon it rained for 5 days straight and unfortunately the bib pickup and expo was held outdoors on soggy grass that was so muddy they had to throw down a layer of hay. This is why conventions are usually held indoors. You would think a city like Wilmington would have no problem finding a sponsor to help host the event out of the elements. The post race activities were decent though, with a massage tent and beer gardens. Lastly, there was very little support along the course. The race does go through a resident area that seems to have some supporters around, but you are literally running downtown and there is no one around. Also traffic can be a problem. There were cars on sections of closed course, people speeding down streets with runners on them, and general lack of courtesy. One more thing, the city of Wilmington is absolutely dead with no night life to speak of (only a few bars open down by Trolley Sq, a significant walk from downtown). I was told that it's mainly a commuter city and that no one actually lives there. In closing, do this one to tick off from your list of 50 states, but other than that don't bother. | |
A. M. from New York
(5/13/2015)
"Very scenic and perfectly organized race" (about: 2015)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Delaware Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I intended to do this Marathon just for the sake of crossing Delaware from my 50-State list. My expectations were not too high. Now I am very glad I chose this Marathon. Its organization was excellent, including the course support, water stations, volunteers and police controlling the traffic. Runners who did this race in previous years warned about danger of being hit by a car. Maybe the Marathon course has changed since then, but now most of the course is completely traffic-free, and on rather rare occasions when we had to share the road with cars, they were always very far away and under a very strict supervision of police. The course is extremely scenic, with lots of parks, greenery and shade. As everyone knows, most of our credit card and bank statements come from Wilmington, Delaware. Now you can run through exclusive neighborhoods where all those top executives live. Very impressive, and very beautiful! The t-shirt is excellent, with a large word Marathon across it, unlike most other shirts I have with the sponsor name in large letters and the word Marathon - in small ones. The finisher medal is outstanding, huge and beautiful. The bottom line a great race! Go for it! |
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