Jessica Yi's Staging Area

The cities of Rehoboth Beach and Lewes are great walking and shopping towns. All the local shop owners and race volunteers are awesome to meet! This is a good race if you’re trying to visit each state, or if you’re within a couple hour drive of the race like we were (DC area) and would like to see Delaware for the first time. Not a race I would travel to as a first race experience or in search of a personal best.

Logistics:
Communication and online resources up through the start of the race were casual and relatively minimal, but altogether sufficient – all the logistics you need to attend the race, and nothing extra! Packet pickup on race morning was quick, and it was easy to drop off the race bag at the car (free parking!). Clothing bins at the start line were taken to the finish, but they function mainly as donation bins and are not designed to retrieve your items.

When the starting horn went off, I and many others were still in line for the bathrooms, so I started the race about ten minutes late, which was no issue at all. The course was well marked with signs, cones, arrows on the ground, and volunteers. Roads were not closed, and the road crossings were very well-managed, safe, and easy. Water stops were about every 2.5 miles, and there were a couple port-a-potties every few miles.

Course:
The mile-long section along the beach, and going across the salt marsh were beautiful. I always enjoy running through neighborhoods as well. However, several miles (maybe just under half) of the race is on an out-and-back gravel trail with not much to look at. With runners going in both directions, I definitely was wishing for some elbow room to get settled into a steady pace. It felt very crowded, especially when the marathon leaders started coming through, making three lanes of traffic and single-file running. The combo of the crowded trail, the gravel, and the cold weather (26 degrees at the start and windy!) made this flat course feel more difficult than anticipated.

Party:
The food at the finish looked amazing. Unfortunately, we didn’t stick around to eat it or to get our celebratory beers. By the time we finished, the restaurant was full to the point of no standing room inside, and it was too cold and windy to sit outside. We had our food, but it was impossible to eat without somewhere to set the plate down, so we ended up tossing it. We couldn’t find an opening to approach the bar for our beer or for a place to drink it, so we decided to just head out. If it had been a warmer day, I think this had the potential to be a better experience!