The first 13 miles of the marathon course travels across Brandywine Park on the Brandywine River, along parkways, through historic neighborhoods of Wilmington, near the 100 year old tower in Rockford park and past downtown’s Rodney Square. The second half of the marathon route is along the Jack Markell Trail making its way almost to New Castle and returning to the festivities at Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park.
The Delaware Marathon was the 132nd largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 112th largest in 2022.
This year 13% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 10.1% of runners qualified for Boston in 2023.
This gives the Delaware Marathon the 178th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 109th highest percentage so far in 2024.
Its Course Score of 97.49 ranks it as the 353rd fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 3rd fastest course in Delaware.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are slightly above the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Delaware Marathon a PR Score of 97.18. This PR Score ranks it as the 319th fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 3rd fastest in Delaware.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Delaware Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 290 feet (88m) Min Elevation: 2 feet (0m)
The Westin in Wilmington provided a shuttle to the start.
TS's review of 2013 Delaware Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
Very nice race and certainly worth doing once. Very well run. The race starts on the riverfront in Wilmington, takes you through downtown and along the Brandywine River, through the parks, and into some of the neighborhoods of Wilmington. Its a great way to see the city. Being from the area I know the city pretty well, and I think the race highlights the best parts of it. Be ready though because there are hills....the big one we call .."Monkey Hill." Its long and gradual. But be prepared to recover on the return down hill. My only knock is that it's a two loop course. I personally don't like 2 loops and it means you have to run those hills twice. But all that said.....its worth doing, at least once. There is a half, and 4-person and 8-person relays, so it has the feel of a bigger race than the actual number of marathoners. The after party is good.....good food, good drink. There is plenty of parking around the start so you shouldn't have far to walk. The expo is not bad, but this is not a huge race so don't expect something of that size. The medal and shirt in '13 were very nice.
Race Tips
Weather should be near perfect at that time of year. Review the course map and be prepared for the hills. There is also a pretty brutal hill at the end of the course that takes you through the center of the city, be prepared for it. Enjoy the shade through the park and the stately neighborhoods.....and none around little Italy. Fan support is pretty good. The aid stations are well stocked and manned by great volunteers.
Plenty of hotels in the area....look in the neighboring towns, Newark and off route 202, for cheaper deals if you don't want to stay in town. Plenty of parking in and around the start but arrive early so you can find your way to the start. If you are flying....go into Philly, unless you can get a much better deal out of Baltimore. Plenty of great options for restaurants in the city and outskirts.
