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Marathon Details - Bucks County Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > PA > Washington Crossing and New Hope > Bucks County Marathon

Bucks County Marathon

CrackedBell Bucks County Marathon & Delaware Canal Half Marathon

Washington Crossing and New Hope, PA USA

October 28, 2023

http://www.runbucks.com/all-event-calendar

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Marathon Results

By Year:

2023 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 Top 3 Finishers

Race Details

flat, double out-and-back on sometimes narrow, historic Delaware Canal State Park towpath. Course is USATF certified Race will be USATF sanctioned Start and Finish at Washington Crossing Historic Park ( near Rts 32 and 532 ) in 2023 the half and full will run concurrently, using the Chasing the Unicorn model. No 5K Bucky or Baby Bucky Challenge this year. 2023 theme: LAST DANCE as this might be the last year for the marathon (not the half) if we can't figure out some course changes

Contact Information

Name:	Pat McCloskey
Address:	runBUCKS 1330 Eddowes Road Unit #2 Warminster, PA 18974
Phone Number:	215 792-7801
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (30)

Course 4.4

Organization 4.3

Spectators 3.5

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Number of comments: 30 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 > ]

c. g. from Pennsylvania (11/17/2021) "Fun Scenic Race" (about: 2021) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Bucks County Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great job to the team for putting on this race. Its a flat, easy on the knees, scenic course. I personally don't mind a double out and back, it breaks up the monotony of a marathon. I really enjoyed the finishers medals, turn it up to 11! Good Job Pat and team!
K. O. from NY NY (11/14/2020) "Wonderful race in Covid era" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Bucks County Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was the fifth Fall 2020 marathon I attempted to register for. Others got cancelled or did not align with my training schedule. I was on the waiting list and was added to the race about 6 weeks prior to the race. This is not the race for you if you are looking for an extremely polished website and a ton of bells and whistles. The race guide is filled with typos and it takes some effort to find information a few weeks in advance of the race. However, just know that RunBucks also has other races - Chasing the Unicorn and prior years' races - so the BCM follows the same template. Three main points - 1) the park is on the PA side of the river 2) park in designated areas and 3) there is race day number pickup. I got there 90 minutes before the race, sat in the car for 75 minutes and walked to the start. If you're coming from NYC or Philadelphia you don't even need to stay in a hotel the night before. I am sure a lot of thought had to be put into the logistics, and the race director must have persevered to put the race on. It's a miracle it happened. Course is close to flat. There is one steep bump in the course and a few minor ups and downs but that's it. It's on a packed dirt trail that's open to the public - bikes and walkers who vastly outnumbered runners. It was close to 80 degrees on race day and we had to carry our own water due to the Covid reality. There were several water stations with a foot pump control. At a couple of points there was more than one runner waiting to fill their bottle. The weather, the water situation and the narrow trail weighed on me throughout the race. I was far from my best. But that was really not the point of running a marathon this year. Other than the water, we received a gaiter and a BCM face mask. We're getting the shirt in the mail. Upon completion we were handed a snack box from Wawa with the medal inside. That was well-conceived. I'm truly appreciative that Pat and the team gave runners the opportunity to complete a marathon this year despite tremendous obstacles.
Nate Tagg from Lancaster, PA (11/11/2020) "Some bad, lots of good" (about: 2020) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Bucks County Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 It's hard to believe. Despite the pandemic, I ran a real in-person marathon on Sunday. The experience was mostly positive. First, the bad: -The website and the race guide contain typos and out-of-date information -Some parts of the trail are narrow, rocky, and/or grassy -The trail remains open to the public during the race -It's a double out and back, which some runners find monotonous/mentally taxing (though I don't mind it) -The director didn't have the shirts by race day (but he said they will be mailed to us) -We were told some of us won't receive shirts because we didn't register early enough, but there was no clearly stated registration deadline -The race starts at 9 am, which means the temp may rise too much (the temp was perfect earlier in the morning, but it rose to the upper 70s by the time I finished) -There won't be big crowds to cheer you on (not that anyone wants that during the current pandemic) Now, the good: -The course is quite flat -It's certified (I ran a BQ for the first time on it) -Except for a short paved stretch at the start, it's mostly crushed stone, which is soft but unlikely to slow you down very much -You won't get lost or have to think about the course (just follow the path) -The trail is eight-feet wide and mostly straight, so you don't have to worry about running tangents (at the end of the Philadelphia marathon, my watch said I ran 26.9; at the end of Bucks, my watch said I ran 26.27) -The course is historic (on a towpath where beasts of burden pulled boats up the canal, near where Washington crossed the Delaware) and beautiful (a canal on one side, a river on the other, fields, fall leaves, etc.) -The later start time means you don't have to wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning -Because it's a small race, you have the chance to place well, better than you would at a bigger race (I was 6th overall and 1st in my age group) -Pat, the race director, will put on his events if at all possible and will make changes as needed (due to covid-19, he limited the number of runners/staff on site, had runners wear masks before starting/after finishing, employed a wave start, didn't allow spectators, etc.) -The logistics of packet-pick-up, parking, etc. are simple (think small-town 5K) -Running this race can feel like doing another tough training run, just on a trail that's a bit busier than usual
N. H. from MD (11/10/2020) "Well run race with a beautiful course" (about: 2020) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Bucks County Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a great race, course was flat, double out and back, very scenic. Race was well organized, just a fun small race.
A. G. from Long Island, New York (11/9/2020) "Wonderful in all respects." (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Bucks County Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race director deserves a spot in the Race Director's Hall of Fame for putting on such a great race in the age of Covid 19. The course was beautiful, the ambience was friendly, and the organization flawless. I've run 37 or 38 marathons and would put this near the top overall. Anyone complaining about this race just likes to complain.
L. F. from Media pa (11/9/2020) "Beautiful small marathon" (about: 2020) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Bucks County Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This year's Bucks Canal marathon was a two looper on the canal path next to the Delaware river. The unusually warm weather, 9 o'clock start, covid precautions(double out and back on trail) made the course challenging. The actual canal path is beautiful, peaceful and well maintained. Covid precautions had us carry our own water containers. They had water every couple of miles but you had to fill your container yourself with a foot pump. Between the start time, the beautiful weather, and no Eagles game everyone in bucks co was on the trail. The trail is open to everyone so bikers were out in force. I don't know what the race director could do to discourage people on the path.
T. Y. from Hoboken, NJ (12/8/2019) "The Good and Bad of a Small-Time Marathon" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Bucks County Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I want to love this marathon because it is tiny, pretty, and unique, but especially because I was lucky enough to finish second overall for the first time in my life. However, they seem to be having organizational issues, and the declining field over the past few years reflects that. The signature quality of this course is that it is run almost entirely on a towpath, with a canal on one side and river on the other, which makes it beautiful and quiet. You won't see many spectators except herons and turtles, but the supporters on the bridge overpasses and Sunday joggers you pass are friendly and encouraging. The packed-dirt surface is easy on old joints. The course is typically an out-and-back, but construction has limited it to a tedious double out-and-back the past two years. Sometimes, you have to navigate around non-participants or alert fellow racers coming the other way. The start is a perfunctory recorded anthem and ready, set, go. The volunteers are eager (a high school track team staffed the water stations) but often unsure of themselves. Awards are the same for overall and age-group winners, giant plaques, but no prizes other than that. Medals are nice, and the fleece hats and shirts are great (unique in that they are sublimated with an "all-over" design), but I was disappointed that the marathon and 5K shirts have the same design (the half-marathon is different). The large-size shirts had not arrived by race day, but I did receive mine in the mail a few days later. Food afterwards was burgers, pasta salad, and pretzels (apparently, the original catering fell through at the last minute). There are many opportunities for great photos along the route, but the one photographer was camped at the dull start/finish/turnaround. The website and race guide are kind of a mess, with old, contradictory, and unclear information and lots of warnings. Rare updates come in the form of links to strange, rambling YouTube videos. The race director seems like a well-meaning nice guy, but of the many races put on by RunBucks throughout the year, he doesn't seem too excited about this one anymore.
J. M. from NY (12/3/2019) "Terrible race director/organization" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Bucks County Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 Stay away from this one! I have run plenty of marathons, big city to small town, and several internationally. I chose this marathon for its course, stated to be a 13.1M out and back along the beautiful Delaware River, and for potential cold temperatures in Mid Nov. Got the cold temps, but the course was switched at the last minute to a 6.55M double out and back. Should have known this would be the worst organized marathon I've ever run from the get go when I registered 11 months in advance and the race shirts were somehow already sold out. The rather odd ramblings of the race director in 'rant' videos barking at you where to not park, and don't do this, don't do that as opposed to having a modicum of professionalism were just plain dumb. Not updating the race information from the prior year until less than a week beforehand would have been ok I guess if it were not riddled with contradictory information that pertained to the prior year. As this was my fourth marathon of 2019 and I had already paid the fee so I decided to still give it a go. When I picked up my bib the day before the race I was told my size shirt was not there but would be shipped soon after the race. Race director post race sends out a rambling email about how the shirts are in and shipped, waited two weeks, no shirt. Emailed about it and was told my size was indeed there at bib pickup so it's my fault - even though it is the race's fault. I emailed back explaining and of course never heard back from the race director. This was supposed to be a 'runners for runners' race but was the farthest thing from actually caring about the runner. It's a shame, because the course is pretty for 6.55M and this probably once was a good race. And I couldn't care less about spectators and bands and all of that nonsense. But if you don't feel like being treated like garbage, there are plenty of small town marathons to choose from that actually do in fact care about the runner - which happens to be the paying customer. I know because I've run plenty of them. Sorry Bucks but your organization and treatment of the runner is just plain awful.
K. K. from New Jersey (11/15/2019) "Great Homestyle Marathon!" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Bucks County Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a really, really good marathon if you're looking for a low-key affordable event with high quality support and amenities. 99% of the course is flat and on compact dirt, run on a towpath in between the Delaware River and the Delaware Canal so very forgiving on the legs...definitely a PR course. Plenty of fluid stations and food at the finish, with parking just a few hundred feet away from the start/finish. In addition, we received a nice long-sleeve tec shirt, a great winter hat and medal. Excellent race management overall. Spectators were few but that's to be expected with a marathon of this size. Those in attendance were very friendly and supportive. In summary, a high-quality marathon staged by experienced runners. I'm glad I chose this one.
d. w. from ardmore pa (11/12/2019) "excellent running event" (about: 2019) 50+ previous marathons \| 4-5 Bucks County Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a reasonably small and low key event on a nice course with excellent organization, enthusiastic volunteers and friendly runners. The route is mostly along the canal path running parallel to the Delaware River north of Philadelphia and south of New Hope. The path is packed dirt and pretty level with no roots and few rocks to avoid. It is about three people wide for the most part and passing or being passed is pretty stress free. For 2019 the course was a double out-and-back which I liked just fine. Scenery along the route consists of the Delaware River, fields, wooded areas and some nice houses across the canal. There are few spectators along the course but those who are out are super supportive. Aid stations are well spaced and the volunteers (this year looked like local HS or college athletes) are good at getting fluids to runners and cheering them on. No music, entertaining signs, cheerleaders, etc. Pretty much just the participants, the volunteers, the path and 26.2 miles. I consider this a 'runner's marathon' that should be done for the fun/challenge of going the distance. You line up, start and go. Simple, straight-forward and rewarding in and of itself. The race organizers have everything in place required to support a good run (e.g., registration, parking, port-o-johns) with special note for the excellent food at the end. This year there was a small foul-up with some shirts and finisher medals, but I am confident the organizers will take care of things. I have done a number of RunBucks events and plan to return next year for more fun on the canal path.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 > ]



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c. g. from Pennsylvania (11/17/2021) "Fun Scenic Race" (about: 2021) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Bucks County Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great job to the team for putting on this race. Its a flat, easy on the knees, scenic course. I personally don't mind a double out and back, it breaks up the monotony of a marathon. I really enjoyed the finishers medals, turn it up to 11! Good Job Pat and team!
K. O. from NY NY (11/14/2020) "Wonderful race in Covid era" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Bucks County Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was the fifth Fall 2020 marathon I attempted to register for. Others got cancelled or did not align with my training schedule. I was on the waiting list and was added to the race about 6 weeks prior to the race. This is not the race for you if you are looking for an extremely polished website and a ton of bells and whistles. The race guide is filled with typos and it takes some effort to find information a few weeks in advance of the race. However, just know that RunBucks also has other races - Chasing the Unicorn and prior years' races - so the BCM follows the same template. Three main points - 1) the park is on the PA side of the river 2) park in designated areas and 3) there is race day number pickup. I got there 90 minutes before the race, sat in the car for 75 minutes and walked to the start. If you're coming from NYC or Philadelphia you don't even need to stay in a hotel the night before. I am sure a lot of thought had to be put into the logistics, and the race director must have persevered to put the race on. It's a miracle it happened. Course is close to flat. There is one steep bump in the course and a few minor ups and downs but that's it. It's on a packed dirt trail that's open to the public - bikes and walkers who vastly outnumbered runners. It was close to 80 degrees on race day and we had to carry our own water due to the Covid reality. There were several water stations with a foot pump control. At a couple of points there was more than one runner waiting to fill their bottle. The weather, the water situation and the narrow trail weighed on me throughout the race. I was far from my best. But that was really not the point of running a marathon this year. Other than the water, we received a gaiter and a BCM face mask. We're getting the shirt in the mail. Upon completion we were handed a snack box from Wawa with the medal inside. That was well-conceived. I'm truly appreciative that Pat and the team gave runners the opportunity to complete a marathon this year despite tremendous obstacles.
Nate Tagg from Lancaster, PA (11/11/2020) "Some bad, lots of good" (about: 2020) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Bucks County Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 It's hard to believe. Despite the pandemic, I ran a real in-person marathon on Sunday. The experience was mostly positive. First, the bad: -The website and the race guide contain typos and out-of-date information -Some parts of the trail are narrow, rocky, and/or grassy -The trail remains open to the public during the race -It's a double out and back, which some runners find monotonous/mentally taxing (though I don't mind it) -The director didn't have the shirts by race day (but he said they will be mailed to us) -We were told some of us won't receive shirts because we didn't register early enough, but there was no clearly stated registration deadline -The race starts at 9 am, which means the temp may rise too much (the temp was perfect earlier in the morning, but it rose to the upper 70s by the time I finished) -There won't be big crowds to cheer you on (not that anyone wants that during the current pandemic) Now, the good: -The course is quite flat -It's certified (I ran a BQ for the first time on it) -Except for a short paved stretch at the start, it's mostly crushed stone, which is soft but unlikely to slow you down very much -You won't get lost or have to think about the course (just follow the path) -The trail is eight-feet wide and mostly straight, so you don't have to worry about running tangents (at the end of the Philadelphia marathon, my watch said I ran 26.9; at the end of Bucks, my watch said I ran 26.27) -The course is historic (on a towpath where beasts of burden pulled boats up the canal, near where Washington crossed the Delaware) and beautiful (a canal on one side, a river on the other, fields, fall leaves, etc.) -The later start time means you don't have to wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning -Because it's a small race, you have the chance to place well, better than you would at a bigger race (I was 6th overall and 1st in my age group) -Pat, the race director, will put on his events if at all possible and will make changes as needed (due to covid-19, he limited the number of runners/staff on site, had runners wear masks before starting/after finishing, employed a wave start, didn't allow spectators, etc.) -The logistics of packet-pick-up, parking, etc. are simple (think small-town 5K) -Running this race can feel like doing another tough training run, just on a trail that's a bit busier than usual
N. H. from MD (11/10/2020) "Well run race with a beautiful course" (about: 2020) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Bucks County Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a great race, course was flat, double out and back, very scenic. Race was well organized, just a fun small race.
A. G. from Long Island, New York (11/9/2020) "Wonderful in all respects." (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Bucks County Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race director deserves a spot in the Race Director's Hall of Fame for putting on such a great race in the age of Covid 19. The course was beautiful, the ambience was friendly, and the organization flawless. I've run 37 or 38 marathons and would put this near the top overall. Anyone complaining about this race just likes to complain.
L. F. from Media pa (11/9/2020) "Beautiful small marathon" (about: 2020) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Bucks County Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This year's Bucks Canal marathon was a two looper on the canal path next to the Delaware river. The unusually warm weather, 9 o'clock start, covid precautions(double out and back on trail) made the course challenging. The actual canal path is beautiful, peaceful and well maintained. Covid precautions had us carry our own water containers. They had water every couple of miles but you had to fill your container yourself with a foot pump. Between the start time, the beautiful weather, and no Eagles game everyone in bucks co was on the trail. The trail is open to everyone so bikers were out in force. I don't know what the race director could do to discourage people on the path.
T. Y. from Hoboken, NJ (12/8/2019) "The Good and Bad of a Small-Time Marathon" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Bucks County Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I want to love this marathon because it is tiny, pretty, and unique, but especially because I was lucky enough to finish second overall for the first time in my life. However, they seem to be having organizational issues, and the declining field over the past few years reflects that. The signature quality of this course is that it is run almost entirely on a towpath, with a canal on one side and river on the other, which makes it beautiful and quiet. You won't see many spectators except herons and turtles, but the supporters on the bridge overpasses and Sunday joggers you pass are friendly and encouraging. The packed-dirt surface is easy on old joints. The course is typically an out-and-back, but construction has limited it to a tedious double out-and-back the past two years. Sometimes, you have to navigate around non-participants or alert fellow racers coming the other way. The start is a perfunctory recorded anthem and ready, set, go. The volunteers are eager (a high school track team staffed the water stations) but often unsure of themselves. Awards are the same for overall and age-group winners, giant plaques, but no prizes other than that. Medals are nice, and the fleece hats and shirts are great (unique in that they are sublimated with an "all-over" design), but I was disappointed that the marathon and 5K shirts have the same design (the half-marathon is different). The large-size shirts had not arrived by race day, but I did receive mine in the mail a few days later. Food afterwards was burgers, pasta salad, and pretzels (apparently, the original catering fell through at the last minute). There are many opportunities for great photos along the route, but the one photographer was camped at the dull start/finish/turnaround. The website and race guide are kind of a mess, with old, contradictory, and unclear information and lots of warnings. Rare updates come in the form of links to strange, rambling YouTube videos. The race director seems like a well-meaning nice guy, but of the many races put on by RunBucks throughout the year, he doesn't seem too excited about this one anymore.
J. M. from NY (12/3/2019) "Terrible race director/organization" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Bucks County Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 Stay away from this one! I have run plenty of marathons, big city to small town, and several internationally. I chose this marathon for its course, stated to be a 13.1M out and back along the beautiful Delaware River, and for potential cold temperatures in Mid Nov. Got the cold temps, but the course was switched at the last minute to a 6.55M double out and back. Should have known this would be the worst organized marathon I've ever run from the get go when I registered 11 months in advance and the race shirts were somehow already sold out. The rather odd ramblings of the race director in 'rant' videos barking at you where to not park, and don't do this, don't do that as opposed to having a modicum of professionalism were just plain dumb. Not updating the race information from the prior year until less than a week beforehand would have been ok I guess if it were not riddled with contradictory information that pertained to the prior year. As this was my fourth marathon of 2019 and I had already paid the fee so I decided to still give it a go. When I picked up my bib the day before the race I was told my size shirt was not there but would be shipped soon after the race. Race director post race sends out a rambling email about how the shirts are in and shipped, waited two weeks, no shirt. Emailed about it and was told my size was indeed there at bib pickup so it's my fault - even though it is the race's fault. I emailed back explaining and of course never heard back from the race director. This was supposed to be a 'runners for runners' race but was the farthest thing from actually caring about the runner. It's a shame, because the course is pretty for 6.55M and this probably once was a good race. And I couldn't care less about spectators and bands and all of that nonsense. But if you don't feel like being treated like garbage, there are plenty of small town marathons to choose from that actually do in fact care about the runner - which happens to be the paying customer. I know because I've run plenty of them. Sorry Bucks but your organization and treatment of the runner is just plain awful.
K. K. from New Jersey (11/15/2019) "Great Homestyle Marathon!" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Bucks County Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a really, really good marathon if you're looking for a low-key affordable event with high quality support and amenities. 99% of the course is flat and on compact dirt, run on a towpath in between the Delaware River and the Delaware Canal so very forgiving on the legs...definitely a PR course. Plenty of fluid stations and food at the finish, with parking just a few hundred feet away from the start/finish. In addition, we received a nice long-sleeve tec shirt, a great winter hat and medal. Excellent race management overall. Spectators were few but that's to be expected with a marathon of this size. Those in attendance were very friendly and supportive. In summary, a high-quality marathon staged by experienced runners. I'm glad I chose this one.
d. w. from ardmore pa (11/12/2019) "excellent running event" (about: 2019) 50+ previous marathons \| 4-5 Bucks County Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a reasonably small and low key event on a nice course with excellent organization, enthusiastic volunteers and friendly runners. The route is mostly along the canal path running parallel to the Delaware River north of Philadelphia and south of New Hope. The path is packed dirt and pretty level with no roots and few rocks to avoid. It is about three people wide for the most part and passing or being passed is pretty stress free. For 2019 the course was a double out-and-back which I liked just fine. Scenery along the route consists of the Delaware River, fields, wooded areas and some nice houses across the canal. There are few spectators along the course but those who are out are super supportive. Aid stations are well spaced and the volunteers (this year looked like local HS or college athletes) are good at getting fluids to runners and cheering them on. No music, entertaining signs, cheerleaders, etc. Pretty much just the participants, the volunteers, the path and 26.2 miles. I consider this a 'runner's marathon' that should be done for the fun/challenge of going the distance. You line up, start and go. Simple, straight-forward and rewarding in and of itself. The race organizers have everything in place required to support a good run (e.g., registration, parking, port-o-johns) with special note for the excellent food at the end. This year there was a small foul-up with some shirts and finisher medals, but I am confident the organizers will take care of things. I have done a number of RunBucks events and plan to return next year for more fun on the canal path.

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Marathon Details - Bucks County Marathon