Coastal Delaware Running Festival
Rehoboth Beach, DE
- Marathon, Half Marathon, 9K, 5K
- Road (Paved), Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
Delaware’s Coolest Marathon! The Coastal Delaware Running Festival will consist of a 5K on Saturday and a 9K, Half Marathon & a Full Marathon (Boston Qualifier) on Sunday. All four courses are flat and fast and take in the most beautiful landmarks of coastal Delaware, including a Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Apr 10):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 67 | 54 | 74 | 62 | 51 |
| L (°F) | 36 | 38 | 56 | 33 | 40 |
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I recommend it!
Great venue for a race, with a start and finish on the oceanside boardwalk and great (mostly) paved trails in between. You meander through considerable natural areas. It is just … MORE
Great venue for a race, with a start and finish on the oceanside boardwalk and great (mostly) paved trails in between. You meander through considerable natural areas. It is just a great place to run and remarkably flat.
The race that's so good I did it twice
If you are not particular about having a big marathon packed with spectators at every mile, I strongly recommend this race. This is a race that has a little bit … MORE
If you are not particular about having a big marathon packed with spectators at every mile, I strongly recommend this race. This is a race that has a little bit of everything. It covers a wide range of distances including the 5k, 9k (close enough to 10k), half, and full. This is a mid-size race, with about 700 marathoners and 1,400 half marathoners in 2026. I did this race twice, the Tower Challenge (5k+marathon) in 2025, and the marathon in 2026
Course: The course, with the exception of 1 bridge crossing, is very flat and PR friendly. The timing in mid April means that your chances are good of having good weather for running. I believe the temperature for 2026 was in the 40s Fahrenheit. The race has basically every type of environment throughout the course, with the exception of skyscrapers and mountains. You start and end on the boardwalk, then you run into the nearby suburbs before making your way through a state park, and then through a former military base and some more sandy areas by the shore. Then you go through the Lewes suburbs, get some bridge action, and end with a trail run on packed dirt. There are a good amount of spectators and supporters on the boardwalk, near the shore, and by Lewes. The variety of experiences you get in this race is astounding, there’s a good chance you start with a very nice sunrise by the beach. Then you get some burbs, bridges, sand, and dirt to top it off. Post-race/celebration pictures on the beach are also pretty cool to take, I highly recommend!
Free Stuff: You automatically get your name on your bib, which I liked a lot as other runners and spectators I didn’t even know were cheering me on. The shirt is a high quality poly/cotton (I think?) blend, and you get a drinking glass as well. The medals they design are top notch, I have the 2025 and 2026 medals and both are probably a top 5 in my book. They’re huge and have glass-like elements to them
Travel and Lodging: Parking in Rehoboth during the offseason is easy. There is plenty of free parking immediately next to the start and finish line. There are also tons of hotels and other lodging in Rehoboth because it is a beach town. Even if you don’t get the option to stay in the town-proper itself, there’s plenty of hotels on the Coastal Highway only 5-10 minutes away and since parking is so easy, this method isn’t as bad as bigger city marathons.
Food: There’s plenty of good (or at least acceptable) food in Rehoboth and on the Coastal Highway. If you’re specifically looking for premium Italian food pre-race though, I recommend you make a reservation earlier rather than later
Post-Race: The nearby Grotto Pizza is the race’s after party, which is basically an endless buffet of all their food, including some beer if that’s your thing. This is by far the best post-race event I’ve seen, and it’s not even close. Stuff your face with endless pizzas and pastas to your heart’s content!
Very Good Delaware race
The Coastal Delaware running festival is a mid-size event. Held in a small beach community of Rehoboth Delaware. I signed up well in advance with good communications as the race … MORE
The Coastal Delaware running festival is a mid-size event. Held in a small beach community of Rehoboth Delaware. I signed up well in advance with good communications as the race approached. We stayed at the Atlantic Sand on the oceanfront – That worked very easily walk to the packet pickup and race.
Packet pick-up was easy enough. There was a long line when it first opened but wait did a little shopping, getting the bib was easy. Not really an expo, but you can get supplies and shirts, etc.
Race -There was a full, 9k, and Half all starting in the morning – 7:00 – 7:20 and 7:40 respectively. I ran the half. There were little to no hills for the half. The race begins and ends at the ocean front, but overall there is only limited oceanfront running. Most of the running is within a state park. Running goes from roads to path, then back.
Post race was nice with runners able to get pizza from Grotto’s pizza. Nice metal and hat after the completion of the race.
Flat & Fun
The race was well organized from packet pick up to the main event. Personal preference would have been more road miles less trail & gravel. Beautiful views, wonderful event staff … MORE
The race was well organized from packet pick up to the main event. Personal preference would have been more road miles less trail & gravel. Beautiful views, wonderful event staff & energetic crowd to cheer you on!
A walk through the park
Course: Start and end on the boardwalk. A large portion is through a scenic state park. Packed dirt with portions of crushed rock. Nice scenery. Production: Smooth. Swag: Nice quality … MORE
Course: Start and end on the boardwalk. A large portion is through a scenic state park. Packed dirt with portions of crushed rock. Nice scenery.
Production: Smooth.
Swag: Nice quality medal. Different medal for the different races. Nice glass and a bonus hat in addition to the shirt. Free pizza, pasta, chicken and beer afterwards.
Great race on the coast of Delaware
This is a great running festival. If you have the opportunity to spend the weekend, I highly recommend it. We arrived before the crowds and left after everyone else. That … MORE
This is a great running festival. If you have the opportunity to spend the weekend, I highly recommend it. We arrived before the crowds and left after everyone else. That provided some nice “down time” away from the hecticness of the races.
State 28/50 for me and lifetime half #43.
We flew into Philly. If you’re flying in, Philly and Baltimore are about the same distance away (about 2 hours’ drive), so its personal preference. Delaware is boring as hell to drive across- just so you know.
We (my wife and I) were there with another couple and we stayed at the Atlantic Sands hotel. It’s on the boardwalk, 100 meters from the start/finish. You can get rooms facing the ocean and we were treated to amazing sunrises every day. Packet pickup is about 3 blocks away so an easy walk. We got our bids, t-shirts, and a pint glass. They also had a small expo. They had two different shirts, one for the 5k on Saturday and one for the races on Sunday (9k, Half, Full). If you do run both days, you get both shirts. Also, we were able to pickup everything for Saturday AND Sunday on Friday night.
Friday night Rehoboth Beach restaurants were busy- 45/50 minute wait. So Saturday we drove to the town of Lewes which is about 7 miles away and ate dinner there. (Lewes is the first city in the First State and also on the coast- it’s worth the side quest.
Sunday morning- full starts at 7, 9k starts at 7:20, half starts at 7:40. Start/finish are on the boardwalk. This starting plan is the only thing I wasn’t a fan of. The 9K is a run/walk. I’m a 7:45 a mile half marathoner. It took less than a mile and a half until we were running into the back of the pack of the 9K walkers. We share the course with them for about 3.5 miles and it is mostly a lane of road so there is some room, but you still have to maneuver the whole time. The first 2 miles are nice as its a small loop through a really nice neighborhood before getting back to a road that runs parallel to the ocean. But there are sand dunes in the way so you see the ocean very little.
At about 3.5 miles we left the road and started on a trail. This trail runs through the state park north of Rehoboth Beach and is pretty nice. The trail is wide and pretty firm. I never really slipped or had a footing issue and there weren’t obstacles like roots or anything to cause tripping hazards. Some of the trail was replaced with walking bridges while going through the park marsh lands. This broke it up a little.
We were now moving through the tail of the marathon runners for about a mile. Once you get to the north side of the park, you get a nice, wooded road to run. There is a slight incline but nothing horrible. This section of the race was probably the worse as far as tripping hazards as there were many roots that were pushing up asphalt. A little passed half way the marathon runners split off and its just half runners from here on.
At the end of that section of pavement, about mile 8, you head south and back towards the finish. The next 4.5/5ish miles are on trails again with the same marsh bridge. At about the 10k mark, you complete the loop and run back the same trail you came up. We ran right into the main pack of the half marathoners and had a spacing issue. We had to go single file while they were about three wide for a good mile and a half or so.
Shortly after the 11 mile marker, we were back on the pavement and headed to the finish. Its the same road that we shared with the 9k folks except you don’t go back through the neighborhood. You take a short connecting sidewalk to the boardwalk and have a beautiful almost half mile to the finish.
There were plenty of water stops along the way, most with water and Gatorade. A couple of them also had porta-potties but thankfully I didn’t need one and wasn’t paying attention. Mile markers were good except 9 didn’t seem to exist and 10 was off a little.
Weather in April is definitely not warm, which I like. It was about 48 at start tine with an up to 20 mph wind coming off the ocean. But we were blocked by wind in most of the race.
The boardwalk is lined with people most of the way to the finish line. Lots of cheering as you finish. But other than that, very little crowd support if you care about that sort of thing. Tons of room after you cross the finish line with benches and gazebos to collapse in. 🙂
Each Sunday race has its own challenge medal if you did the 5K the day before. Also, every Sunday runner got a finisher hat at the finish line too.
After we caught our breath and took pictures, we walked to the water and put our feet in. Mind you the ocean temps are about 50 degrees so the fun moment is short lived. Also, having a hotel a hundred yards from the finish line meant we took showers before going to the after party. The afterparty is in Grotto Pizza, which is the race’s biggest sponsor. It is a pizza buffet and a quite large building. But the three races combined had about 3200 people so….. You get three bear tickets with your bib as well. Once we were able to snatch a table, we were able to relay for a good hour with pizza and beer quite nicely.
The medals are legit- good size and design and are made to look like they have some stain glass. The shirts are extra soft and not tech shirts, which I am thankful for. The hat and pint glass are nice extra swag items.
Extra note: we were able to see EVERYTHING Delaware has to offer in our 3.5 day weekend. Shopping, history, local food, coffee shops, coastline, state parks, and mini golf.
Would 100% run again if I was near by or if I complete round 2 of a half in every state.
Great race in Delaware
I would highly recommend this race if looking for one in Delaware. I chose the half marathon, so my review is based on that course. Weather was overcast, little windy, … MORE
I would highly recommend this race if looking for one in Delaware. I chose the half marathon, so my review is based on that course. Weather was overcast, little windy, but the rain held off making it comfortable for running. I enjoyed the course, which was fairly flat. The race starts and ends on Rehoboth Beach boardwalk, running through neighborhoods and around Gordon Pond nature trail for the majority of the race. I always carry my own hydration/energy gels so I can’t comment on pros/cons of aid stations , but there were a few. Swag/medal/small expo was decent. Spent the weekend at Avenue Inn and Spa, which I highly recommend if you need lodging. The hotel served breakfast at 6am for the runners: oatmeal, bagels (no PB but they had Nutella), fruit, coffee. Within walking distance to race, which came in handy for one last bathroom run before race. Rehoboth Beach is your typical beach town: plenty of places to eat ,drink and shop. Beach/boardwalk is very nice. The only negative is traveling to Rehoboth. Closest major airport for me was Philly. Rented a car and drove about 2 hours (not very scenic) to final destination. If I lived closer, I would definitely run this race again, but I’m off to the next state. If you need Delaware for 50 states challenge, you won’t be sorry in choosing this one.
Excellent small race
This is a well-run event. The half-marathon had corrals, which I appreciated, and the start was well-organized. I greatly appreciated the friendliness of the volunteers, especially at the water stops … MORE
This is a well-run event. The half-marathon had corrals, which I appreciated, and the start was well-organized. I greatly appreciated the friendliness of the volunteers, especially at the water stops and finish. They did an excellent job.
The medals for these races were great. If you did a challenge or the marathon you got an extra large medal. They were impressive!
The post-race party at Grotto’s was fun and had a good atmosphere. It was crowded but everyone was friendly and accommodating. My friend and I had no trouble finding a seat at a shared table.
Free photos and a finish line video were a nice touch. Thanks, Coastal Delaware! I’ll be back.
Well run, great course!
Course is flat and fast. My biggest complaint would be to start the 9k race AFTER the 1/2 marathon start. I didn't understand the logic, other races with multiple distance, … MORE
Course is flat and fast. My biggest complaint would be to start the 9k race AFTER the 1/2 marathon start. I didn’t understand the logic, other races with multiple distance, tend to start shorter distance at end. There were quite a few “groups” that were there to walk and they would take the entire width of the course. It was very frustrating as the start was already crowded with the 1/2 runners and passing became difficult, especially since the volunteers were doing their job and telling everyone to stay left.. The crowd didn’t break until the 9k folks peeled off at around mile 3-4?? And, I would love to NOT get so many emails. It is just insane the amount that are sent out! But, good race, great after party and will do again!
Beautiful
We had an overcast, cool race day. Perfect weather for running. I appreciated the packed dirt course (where it occurred) and the fabulous support on course - especially for us … MORE
We had an overcast, cool race day. Perfect weather for running. I appreciated the packed dirt course (where it occurred) and the fabulous support on course – especially for us back-of-the-pack runners. The after-race atmosphere also fabulous. Thanks Delaware- State #21 for me!
Designed by a lover of the sport!
This course gives you EVERYTHING! Gorgeous neighborhoods, running along a highway, lots of wooded trails, start and finish at the beach boardwalk, loops that don't make you angry and are … MORE
This course gives you EVERYTHING! Gorgeous neighborhoods, running along a highway, lots of wooded trails, start and finish at the beach boardwalk, loops that don’t make you angry and are fascinating and appreciated and pizza for free at the finish. Bonus free photos and video of everyone crossing the finishline! Definitely one to not miss.
Well-Produced Race
Really well-produced/run (pun semi-intended) race! Nothing super-fancy, but beautiful small town, loved that the race started and ended on boardwalk, bib/packet pickup was easy, loved the beer glass at pickup … MORE
Really well-produced/run (pun semi-intended) race! Nothing super-fancy, but beautiful small town, loved that the race started and ended on boardwalk, bib/packet pickup was easy, loved the beer glass at pickup and the Finisher hat at the end, really nice medal, just a really well-done race. The two things to note are this race has a large portion of it on trails rather than roads, and GETTING AN UBER TO THE START LINE IS VERY DIFFICULT, SO PLAN AHEAD TO DRIVE, GET A RIDE, OR LEAVE AN HOUR FOR THE UBER TO GET TO YOU.
Overall nice race
This was an overall nice race. It was well organized and had a lot of aid stations. I did not realize that a decent chunk of it would be on … MORE
This was an overall nice race. It was well organized and had a lot of aid stations. I did not realize that a decent chunk of it would be on packed gravel/dirt (which I don’t enjoy and it felt much harder running on). The sections on the road were great though and it was mostly flat. I loved the start/finish on the boardwalk by the beach. Weather was cold, but perfect for running!
Well-run Race!
Costal Delaware was an excellent race! Beforehand, the director was quick to respond to questions regarding the event. The race and afterparty were well-organized and a great experience. Looking forward … MORE
Costal Delaware was an excellent race! Beforehand, the director was quick to respond to questions regarding the event. The race and afterparty were well-organized and a great experience. Looking forward to running this race again!
Nice course
This course was really nice, mostly flat. There were some quiet spots that were very scenic and the spots on the road were filled with enthusiastic volunteers and spectators. I … MORE
This course was really nice, mostly flat. There were some quiet spots that were very scenic and the spots on the road were filled with enthusiastic volunteers and spectators. I didn’t see the fuel options they advertised (gu or jelly beans) but it’s possible I overlooked them.
I did have a terrible experience with the lead bike/golf cart which ruined the experience for me. A few of the areas on the bike path have two-way traffic which were slightly narrow but definitely manageable for everyone to easily and safely pass by each other. When I was coming up to one of these spots the leading golf cart driver was looking behind them and almost ran me over. Then 10 steps later as I’m about to exit the bike path and go onto the street the leading cyclist was out of control, started frantically waving one arm and screamed at me to “move out of the way”. The only options I had were to stop dead (while running a 7:45 pace) or to run straight through a massive body of standing water directly into the aid station set up. So I had to stop to wait for the cyclist to pass then after the first place runner went by I could continue with my race. I understand the need to make sure spectators aren’t standing in the way however I paid almost $200 to run the race just like the gentleman in first place did. I was mortified that they would treat another runner like that and will definitely not be back, especially with the price of the race.
A great first marathon
I thought this race was really well managed. Capping the marathon at 900 was great. I didn’t feel super bunched up but still felt surrounded by others. The people at … MORE
I thought this race was really well managed. Capping the marathon at 900 was great. I didn’t feel super bunched up but still felt surrounded by others. The people at the water station were so nice and very cheerful. I wish there had been more free SWAG at packet pickup as for other races they have had more. The party afterwards was very nice.
Great Town, Lacking Race Support, Again
I’ve now run this race two years in a row, and unfortunately, the same problems continue to show up—despite the very premium price tag. At $180, runners deserve far better … MORE
I’ve now run this race two years in a row, and unfortunately, the same problems continue to show up—despite the very premium price tag. At $180, runners deserve far better race support than what’s currently being offered.
Let’s start with the fuel: Both years, the race prep guide promised flat Coke and gummy bears (candy etc) after mile 21—neither ever materialized. There was also supposed to be Gu at three different stops. If it was there, it was either gone incredibly early (meaning there wasn’t enough), not at all visible or not handed out at all. For such a long, mentally and physically draining course, especially in the later miles, this is a huge oversight.
The course itself is beautiful but sparsely supported. There are long stretches where you’re running completely alone, which is fine—until it’s not. I missed a crucial turn near the playground around mile 25 and ended up going off course for a bit. Turns out, I wasn’t the only one. That spot desperately needed better signage or a course marshal. And on the very long trail stretches any sort of marker to let you know you were on course would be helpful. For a race with this price point, more directional support and visual markers should be standard.
The cotton race shirts, while soft, just aren’t practical. For $180, a technical shirt should be the minimum. Runners want shirts we can actually train in—not another tee for the donation pile.
The pros? Spectator access is fantastic. It’s one of the easiest races for friends and family to hop around the course and cheer at multiple locations. The volunteers—though few and far between—were enthusiastic and kind. Special shout-out to the table of young ladies around mile 20 who were dancing, yelling names, and creating an amazing vibe just when it was needed most. Free race photos are always appreciated and a perk.
The finish line? Beautiful location—terrible execution. The boardwalk isn’t roped off, and I had to weave around people walking their dogs and casually strolling across the finish line. That’s really not acceptable for a race that brands itself as a competitive, fast course.
Grottos pizza sounded like a fun post-race perk, but the line was so long we couldn’t even get in. It’s a tiny location and totally overwhelmed by the number of runners.
So why did I run it again? It’s close to home. It’s early in the season before the heat ramps up. Rehoboth Beach is absolutely gorgeous. And the course is fast and flat.
But still, I can’t help but feel like I paid a premium for what amounts to a DIY experience with some nice scenery. If the organizers want repeat runners and rave reviews, they need to address these same issues—year after year, they keep showing up.
Beautiful scenic race
This race was exceptionally well run with great communication. Rehoboth beach (though are visit was rainy and chilly) has beautiful scenery, beach, and plenty of shopping and restaurants. We stayed … MORE
This race was exceptionally well run with great communication. Rehoboth beach (though are visit was rainy and chilly) has beautiful scenery, beach, and plenty of shopping and restaurants. We stayed at the admiral on Baltimore so half block walk to race start.
The race itself is one of the most beautiful I’ve run. From the boardwalk, you wind through neighborhoods, then into a natural park area with wetlands and wood and seashore. Gorgeous and peaceful. Trails were well packed and mostly smooth no issues. Plenty of water stops and support. Some small hills, really very flat.
I thought it was fantastic and strong recommend.
Pleasant Race with Awesome Views!
I didn't expect much out of this race, but I was pleasantly surprised! It was a nice, easy, and flat course, and it was really beautiful weather when I ran … MORE
I didn’t expect much out of this race, but I was pleasantly surprised! It was a nice, easy, and flat course, and it was really beautiful weather when I ran it last year. I also thought it was really cool that we started on the boardwalk at the beach, and then we ended up running through the majority of the half throughout a state park. I have never done that before, and it was such an awesome time! There was a bridge that we ran on, and even though we were on a trail for part of it, it was very flat and easy to run on (I wasn’t worried about tripping at all even though I am a road runner). The only reason I didn’t give this race 5 stars is because there was a problem with organization here. When we were running in the state park, random cyclists and walkers kept hopping on the course, and some of them were being rude and getting in the way of runners. Also, at the very end, right by the finish line on the board walk, I was running full speed and there were people walking in the course, causing problems for runners. I had two people decide to cut me off as I was trying to finish so that was super annoying. Most races have the very end of the course fenced off so it’s closed, but that was not the case here.
Nice Flat Run Along The Coast
-Beautiful scenery as your start the race at sunrise on Rehoboth Beach boardwalk. Get to run on some trails in a state park through some marshlands, around the WWII tower, … MORE
-Beautiful scenery as your start the race at sunrise on Rehoboth Beach boardwalk. Get to run on some trails in a state park through some marshlands, around the WWII tower, and finish back along the beach. Only downside is the last 6-7 miles were on a bike path which was a little anticlimactic. Course is very flat!
-Decent Swag with an awesome stain glass medal, beer glass, hat, but the shirt is poor quality and the lettering on it starting peeling off within a few weeks. Very little marathon specific clothing or gear at the packet pick up.
-Bibs came with your name on them in big font so it was motivating to have all the crowds cheering your name as you ran by
-Very well put together for a smaller race!