This is one of my absolute favorite races, and this was my sixth year running it in some capacity. I ran the full in 2013 (my first full) and 2014, and I have run the half each year since then. This year, I paced the 2:30 group for the half.

It's set in beautiful Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The race starts at the bandstand, continues on roads, and about six miles are run out-and-back on the Junction & Breakwater Trail. It's a flat trail that is not technical. The course is extremely flat. The full course heads up the Gordons Pond Trail into Lewes.

Aid stations seemed very plentiful. I was thankful for all the volunteers who were out there in the cold. It's December, so you never know exactly what the weather will be, but this year, it was colder than any of the other years I'd run this race (it was about 30 degrees before the race).

This race is known for its fun after-party, which has a ton of good food — things like mac and cheese, pulled pork, waffles — and Dogfish Head beer (runners get a wristband that allows them three beers). The after-party has a DJ (DJ Petch), dancing and singing outside, and a more relaxed party inside The Cultured Pearl.

There is usually a really small expo at the packet pickup the day before, but this year, I picked up my packet the morning of the race, which was very simple. Parking was extremely easy — I did arrive more than an hour early because I had to be there early for pacing, but I parked basically steps away from the bandstand, and there were tons of spots. Parking is free this time of year in Rehoboth.

Swag this year was a long-sleeve tech shirt — orange for the women's cut and light blue for the men's cut. The medal is also really nice!

Race management is really top-notch. The race director, Mary Beth Hanna Evans, constantly responds to questions and makes people aware of what they need to know on the race Facebook group. I also received emails leading up to the race. And then on race day, everything went very smoothly from my perspective. Runners doing their first full or half, running clubs and people hitting other milestones (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) are also recognized with signs on the course.

I highly recommend this race and hope to see you next year! There's always a good discount for 12 hours on New Year's Eve (or until the spots for that deal sell out).

Read my blog post here: https://sherunsbytheseashore.com/2018/12/10/consistency-and-confidence-pacing-the-2018-rehoboth-seashore-half-marathon/