I had no real expectations for Delaware. I’d never been to the state, and quite frankly, I doubt I ever would have visited if it wasn’t for this marathon. (Like many people from my generation, I associate Delaware with that one scene in the first Wayne’s World film… and really nothing else.) Going in with no preconceived notions allowed both Jim and I to be pleasantly surprised.
Our race was in Rehoboth Beach, which is a super- cute seaside town. It was even super- cute in December when there was no beachgoing to be had. We flew into Baltimore and drove the 2 ½ hours into Delaware. This gave us the opportunity to eat a mighty tasty crab lunch at Hemmingway’s, which overlooks the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. (This might have been the highlight of the trip.)
We stayed at Hotel Rehoboth, which was the perfect beach hotel and which was a block from the finish line. Packet pickup was located in a heated tent and was easy to access, and we had a nice pre- race dinner at the Cultured Pearl—which offered marathon specials. My only beef with the registration/ check in for this race was that women had to pay an extra $10 if they wanted a female- cut shirt.
The race began at 7:00 on Saturday morning with temperatures in the mid 30’s. It was sunny and wasn’t an unpleasant temperature at all. (I ran in a short sleeve shirt for the last few miles.) The course consisted of two out-and-back loops and was far more scenic than I had expected. The first loop was run in a park and along the beach and was very pretty– even in December. We were in a more woodsy area for the second loop, which was also nice. There were gale wind warnings the morning of the race, and in places it was VERY windy, but the course changed direction enough that it was never a problem for more than a mile or two. The course was also flat, which was an added bonus.
The race was a good size, and when the marathon split from the half, I never found myself running alone. There weren’t many spectators on the course, but the aid stations were all well- manned. My only complaint is that the marathon and half marathon met back up before the second out and back. We were on trails for this portion of the race, so we had to weave around walkers and also be aware of runners going the opposite direction.
A highlight of this race was the after party, which was held both in the registration tent and The Cultured Pearl. The race provided salad, beef and veggie burgers, pulled pork, mac and cheese, chips, pancakes, eggs, biscuits and gravy, bacon and unlimited beer and non- alcoholic drinks. It was really a great spread. Jim and I had to get back to Baltimore for our flight, so we didn’t get to fully take advantage of the offerings, but it looked like a fun place to spend a Saturday afternoon!
** Race Highlights: Rehoboth was surprisingly charming. I really enjoyed spending some time in this town. This was a very well- organized event to boot.
** The Downside: I have no major complaints about this race. The couple of miles where the wind was pelting us was unpleasant, though.
Sub 4:00 State #12, BQ State #10
Finish Time: 3:30:42
Overall Place Within My Gender: 16th/876
Favorite Race Day Song: “Scars To Your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara
Total Training Miles: 2919
Shoe Total: 10
Sadie's Fifty 