If you've never run this, you need to. Granted this was only my 6th marathon but by far my favorite.
The race is on a Saturday (which I love coz, I didn't have to work the very next day) at 7 a.m. and it starts down by the beach. As your starting, you look over shoulder and watch the sun coming up over the water. So beautiful.
The majority of the race is on trails. I'm not a trail runner, I hate trails, I always get injured. But these trails are wide, dirt and gravel and NO ROOTS to trip over. You wind your way through the marshes of Gordon's pond and then up to the grand dune in Cape Henlopen State Park, breath in the salt air and watch the ocean again. Then you run a couple miles on the road in the town of Lewes, grab some ice cream at the DQ on the corner and head back to Gordon's pond. Once your out of Gordon's pond, you do a couple road miles to the breakwater junction, another wide, gravely dirt road (again NO ROOTS!). Just before mile 22 a DJ is set up and he's strung rows of flags from every state represented at race. That was super cool. Turn around at 22, head back, pick up the road right after mile 24 and head to the finish.
It was such a beautiful race, perfect if you love nature but always trip or roll an ankle (like I do) on trails. Mostly flat but not pancake flat (again, something that I hate), there are some small hills plus the grand dune at Cape Henlopen. It's a really good one for first timers. It's small, maybe 2000 max for both the full and 1/2. Close parking is easily available.
After party catered by Cultured Pearl and Dogfish. The town is beautifully decorated with Christmas lights.
I was ready to sign up for next year by the 3rd mile.
