On my mission to run a half marathon in every state, I was granted an opportunity to run the Delaware (half) Marathon. I had zero clue about the Wilmington area before this race, however I was so impressed with the city and the race organization. It’s such a beautiful area steeped in history!

Packet pickup was at the Tubman-Garret Riverfront Park and had a few small tents, including race merch. The packet pickup was smooth as the volunteers scanned the QR code that was emailed to runners and assigned the bib at that time.

Race morning was chilly (temps in the 40s), but it made for perfect running weather. I stayed at one of the hotels in downtown Wilmington through the race website (solid discount, definitely recommend!) and walked to the start, however there seemed to be ample parking in the surrounding area. There were plenty of porta-potties and the only minor hiccup was that gear check was slammed 10 minutes before the start, which made me a bit anxious. Thankfully the line went fast and I made it to the start with 5 minutes to spare.

All distances started/finished in the Tubman-Garret Park. The races ran along the riverfront path for the first half mile or so and it was congested, but once we transitioned to the roads it opened up. The race weaves through downtown, along the lush paths of the riverfront and through the beautiful neighborhoods. The entire race was scenic from the vibrant trees, lush parks and river. This helped as a distraction during times where the route hit inclines. Speaking of, I made sure to study the elevation map before the race so I could anticipate the climbs and know how and when I could push. The majority of the gains were after mile 3, 6, 9 and at mile 12. I always find climbs during the last mile to be cruel, but this was a brief incline before finishing on a steady downhill. It was not bad at all, especially if you reserved some energy.

One of the highlights of the race for me was the community support. There was a lot of support from spectators, but most notably was how supportive and encouraging the police members were. In most races there will be an occasional police officer that cheers on the runners, but I’d say 90% of the officers during the race were offering words of encouragement. It was really special and much appreciated!

Once crossing the finish line we were bestowed with the beautiful 20th anniversary medal, which is one of my all time favorite medals- and this was my 98th half marathon, so I have a few! The medal is not only beautiful and excellent quality, it also has the key areas of the route engraved on the back, which is really cool! The finisher shirts were long sleeved for the half and full marathon and short sleeve for the 5k and 10k. I prefer a more fitted shirt, so they are not my preference, but they seem to be high quality.

The finisher food was your standard water, banana and snacks (cow tails, Utz chips, granola bar and energy drink). Runners over 21 also had the option for beer, but I gifted mine to another runner as I’m not a beer drinker. They also had a local band playing in the park, which if it were warmer I would have stayed around to watch.

Overall I would absolutely recommend this race to anyone looking to check off Delaware or that’s local to the area. I’m glad that I selected this run for my Delaware half!