I thouroghly enjoyed this race. The organizers have created not just a marathon, but a running festival. My 13 year old daughter really enjoyed the 1.2 mile kids race on Saturday. The half and marathon relays are great for bringing the marathon experience to new runners. There is something for everyone. The course gives you a great mix of city and natural views along the scenic Christiana and Brandywine Rivers, about half the course is shaded. The New Balance race shirts, hats, beer glass and finisher's medal are all more than what you get in any other race, this was my 49th marathon. Run the DE Marathon, you won't regret it!

I must say I had no clue what to expect w this race; I just knew it was close to DC where I wanted to visit, knocked another state off the list; this was my first race coming off an injury, and it seemed to get good reviews on marathonguide.com; so I signed up and went for it!

I must say; superbly done race!
The good....fantastic organization for this race; excellent facebook update and community of runners chatting pre-race (even ended up splitting a room night before the race w another runner who posted on the facebook about splitting the cost of a room), excellent pre-race emails; not-too-expensive hotels in the area (a Clarion in New Castle was a short 10 minute easy drive to the start line); ended up having a nice pre-race meal in Little Italy at Rocco's; parking for the race was an absolute snap; a great party atmosphere at the start and finish; lots of bathrooms; loved that the marathoners were given our own start before the 1/2'ers so it wasn't too crowded; I ended up LOVING the 2 loop course, just 1 major hill about 6 miles into the loop, loved the park setting, running near the waterfront area, etc.; I thought for a fairly small town, there was excellent fan support; police and volunteers were plentiful throughout the course for direction and traffic control; there were plenty of stocked aid stations with nice volunteers (and the drinks were cold and tasted good); forgot...swag also decent, nice pint glass, decent shirt, etc....very nice, heavy duty medal; food at finish was very good....and the chocolate milk from some company there was ice cold, and absolutely fantastic...another huge plus, access to showers post race at the Y with showing of your race bib....that was terrific, because I then was driving to DC to go out to dinner, and I was able to be freshly showered for the drive, results were posted in a very timely fashion
...the bad...really nothing major I can think of; the road camber was rough on my feet, especially the one that I previously injured
...the ugly...my time...wasn't really fully prepared after injury

Overall, excellent, excellent job by the folks putting this race on....Kudos..I had never gotten off a highway exit in Delaware, and I really enjoyed my short stay in Wilmington, and enjoyed the race

I have nothing but good words and praises to say about the organization of this marathon. Top notch. Everything from start/finish lines through aid stations, signs, volunteers and communication was excellent. Parking was easy and reasonable hotels near by.

It's a double loop course (you can't fit 26.2 miles into Delaware otherwise). The course is not easy with some long hills late in the race. The temperature was in the low 60s but quite humid.

Bottom line, great but tough marathon.

Like many others, I did this race as part of my quest for 50 states. I honestly didn't have high expectations since this was a smaller race but I underestimated the quality of this race and really had a great time! The course was challenging- somehow I didn't realize it was going to be hilly so that was tough. However, because the course was a loop, I knew that if I could just get up that monster of a hill I would be coming back down it eventually. Also, the course was really scenic and beautiful so that made the hills more tolerable. There were more spectators than I thought there would be and because our names were printed on the bibs, everyone could cheer us on by name! The water stops were staffed by friendly people and I never had to wait. There were a lot of police officers ensuring the safety of marathoners from traffic on the course, which was much appreciated. The medal is beautiful and I have never seen so much post-race food in my life. I could tell the race organizers really cared about this being a positive experience for all of the runners, and it really was!
The only downside- I did not get a women's shirt in my size because they were all out. They gave me a men's shirt instead which was fine, no big deal. Also, I heard that the roads re-opened before the 6 hour cut off. I did not experience this personally but if it's true, that would be a big negative. I am a back-of-the-pack'er and it would be devastating to lose the course support before finishing in the alloted time.

I was really impressed with the overall organization of this marathon. From pre-race communication to the finish this was a stress free marathon to travel to. The Face Book page gave us a venue to ask questions and stay super motivated and, for me, to get real antsy to get to the race. The hills were killer for this flatlander so if you live at sea level, make sure you find some hills to do your hill training. The double loop was kind of nice because there were tons of spectators cheering us on as we went back out for the second loop. Loved the swag and the after spread! The volunteers were awesome. The locals were super to come out and cheer us and hand out oranges, watermelon, etc. We stayed at the Doubletree which was only .5 miles to the start/finish. We also ran by the hotel at miles 12/25. I would do this again but I would prepare for the hills next time. :-)

Well organized race with great volunteers. Course is a bit confusing at times with the relay and half directions but the volunteers did a great job directing traffic. A LOT of turns and more than a few hills, not an ideal race for a BQ. Nice views along the river and well stocked aid stations. This one sells out, register early!

This is an incredible marathon for anyone who wants to try their first or complete their 100th. Plenty of support on the course and many amenities make this a favorite for me!

I needed Delaware to complete my 50 states, If I had to do it again I would definitely choose this race. Pre race communication was top notch. Packet pickup was hassle free and included awesome swag. Course was scenic and challenging, The many shaded parts of the course were welcome as was the support of the race volunteers. Fluids were plentifull on the course which was needed on this day.
After the race while enjoying refreshments I was approached by the race director who welcomed me to Delaware and personally thanked me for choosing his race. This conversation reinforced my opinion of this gem.

1) While i was not looking forward to a 2 loop course, it is not a big deal. The transition at halfway and the finish were well marked and not a problem. 2) Since the half starts later, after the relay runners split off there are some sections where you may be running alone,but all turns are well marked.

3)One advantage of the double loop is my family was able to watch the start,drive to one location and see me 4 times, and see the finish. 4) The age group awards are a unique bobble head trophy. 5) It was 79 at the finish and the couple long gentle hills were a factor.

6) Organization was top notch(suggest you do packet pickup later on saturday to avoid fun run and local activities' parking challenge). 7) Lastly I enjoyed watching the registration website leading up to the race. Lots of info.

Pre-Race:
Expo was easy to get to. Found street parking about 2 blocks away. New Balance was selling technical marathon and half marathon shirts that listed all the registrants. I didn't buy one since they gave us a nice royal blue NB tech shirt. The women got pink shirts. All runners also received a marathon pint glass which is a first for me for any run I've entered. Other swag was a technical hat from a sponsor (not from the marathon) and a marathon pen & pad.

We stayed at the Sheraton Suites which was about 3/4 mile from the start. I was planning to walk to the start but took the shuttle which was waiting outside the hotel. Also, there was plenty of street parking around the hotel which was free after 6PM on Saturdays and all day on Sundays. We got a spot directly across the street. I also had a friend run the marathon and he had plenty of free parking near the start/finish before the race.

Race:
The race is 2 laps. Course is hilly but mostly very scenic. Part of the route had us run along the riverfront on a boardwalk as well as along a creek though a park where we had to cross a narrow walk-bridge. Since the runs are small (about 700-800 marathoners and 1500-1600 half) it wasn't crowded at all. It was sunny during the race and the temperature was in the high-50's at the start but reached the mid-70's by the second half. I didn't feel like it affected me at all as there was plenty of water/Gatorade.

There was a decent number of spectators. Our hotel was about 4-5 blocks from the outbound and return sections of the route. My wife was able to come out to cheer me on on the way out, go back to the hotel to relax, then come back out to see me on the return. She did this for both laps.

Post-Race:
Finishers medal is very nice. Aside from the usual finish line food they also had pizza, deli sandwiches, and soda. Another first for me. Our hotel had a late checkout at 12:30 but we got a 4PM checkout since my wife was a platinum member. If you couldn't make it back to the hotel in time to shower, runners could use the YMCA (which was across the street from the Sheraton Suites). Overall, this was a really enjoyable marathon experience - great logistics, free parking, hotel shuttle, easy access, nice swag, great food, shower at the Y (my back-up plan)! I'm not planning to run it again as my long term goal is to run 50 states but I would definitely participate if any of my friends wanted to run it.