I ran the Coastal Delaware Running Festival Half Marathon for the first time this year. I ran the race as the 2:30 half marathon pacer, so I did receive a free entry.

I loved this race! It was well-organized, scenic and fun, with awesome swag. I received a really nice shirt, a BOCO Gear trucker hat (finishers received this at the end), a great medal (also received at the end, of course), a pint glass and a magnet. So much swag! I will note that I generally wear a medium in regular clothes, but I have often started ordering a large for race shirts, and I am definitely glad I did for this race. The shirt is more of a regular-wear shirt than a running shirt (at least it seems that way to me) and seems to run on the smaller side; the large fits well. Unfortunately, a friend who is about the same size as me had ordered a medium shirt and wanted to switch to large and was unable to -- something to consider if you are a woman.

Aid stations were plentiful and had what I needed. It seemed like they were well-placed on the course. I didn't take any fuel, so I didn't pay attention to that as much, but I did get water at each station.

This course is very scenic! It starts and finishes on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk and takes runners up and down the beautiful Gordon's Pond trail, with a loop rather than a turnaround. It is also very flat. During the half marathon, my watch only logged 118 feet of elevation gain.

The expo was easy to navigate and I didn't have to wait in line for my packet, but it was nothing special. There were only a few vendors and a photo background where you could get a photo. The expo is not really something I personally care that much about at a race, though.

Parking was very easy and free (off-season at the beach). My friend and I arrived early because I picked up my pace sign at 6:15 a.m. ahead of the 7:30 half marathon start, and we got a very close spot.

Race management was great. Everything about the race was well-run. I received numerous emails and Athlinks updates.

There was also great food afterward! In addition to some of the regular runner food (like bananas), there was a full buffet from sponsor Grotto Pizza that included pizza, baked ziti, chicken tenders and salad. Runners could also have three beers. The lines were very long and a little confusing, but I found out that the lines were shorter inside.

Read my full blog post here: https://sherunsbytheseashore.com/2018/04/24/a-successful-scenic-pacing-experience-at-the-coastal-delaware-running-festival-half-marathon/