You start at the bandstand on Rehoboth Avenue on the first Saturday of December, with the ocean a block away and a long-sleeve shirt in your bag. The course is honest rather than fast-talking: mostly flat, never more than about 47 feet above sea level, but it throws in crushed-stone trail, a few tight turnarounds and the small rises inside Cape Henlopen State Park. Out there you follow the Gordons Pond Trail toward Lewes, pass the old lookout towers and Fort Miles, and climb the great dune lookout before working back along the Junction and Breakwater Trail. Roughly one in eight finishers runs a Boston time here, so pacing on the trail sections pays off. The 7-hour limit is generous, but hold 16-minute pace through the park or you will be pulled. Register early; the marathon cap is near 1,100.
Mostly flat (max elevation 47 ft) with small hills inside Cape Henlopen State Park; mix of road, park bike trail and crushed-stone trail with several sharp turnarounds. Course map ↗
Registration opens 2026-01-04 (8:00 AM, per rbmarathon.com). No race-day or packet-pickup registration; last price increase after 2026-11-24 11:59 PM EST (RunSignup). As of 2026-10-13 RunSignup showed 112 marathon and 291 half spots remaining. First-come registration on RunSignup. Field capped at 3,300 total (about 1,100 marathon, 2,200 half). Refunds on a sliding scale (90% down to 25%) and paid deferrals ($20 through Oct 31, $30 through Nov 21) per the FAQ. Marathon $195, half $175, virtual options $85/$75. Register ↗
- The inaugural race was held in late November 2008 with a surprise turnout of 433 runners; the 2018 edition was the 11th. ↗
- The organizer bills it as a certified Boston qualifier, and 12.6% of 2025 marathon finishers ran BQ times. ↗
- Starts at Rehoboth Avenue and the bandstand and finishes on 4th Street behind Rehoboth Beach Running Co. (301 Rehoboth Avenue). ↗
- Registration is capped at 3,300 total participants, roughly 2,200 half and 1,100 full; the race benefits Girls on the Run Delaware, Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park and other local charities. ↗
- In 2018 the marathon drew 934 finishers and the half 1,651, with nearly 3,000 runners in town for race day. ↗
Checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.