Marathon mania hits Cape Region this weekend

I teamed up with Marybeth Evans of Rehoboth Beach Running Company 15 years ago to create the Rehoboth Seashore Marathon and Half Marathon. In the first year, we had fewer than 500 finishers. This year, we are sold out at 3,000 participants. For the past 10 years, with the exception of the COVID times, we have been averaging 2,800 to 3,000 runners. Hotels and restaurants are packed like Fourth of July weekend, providing an economic boost to the Cape Region.

Following the morning marathon, runners and families can enjoy shopping at Tanger Outlets, have fun at Schellville and stick around for the Lewes Christmas Parade.

The event will have nine water stops with the following groups manning the stations: Boardwalk and Rehoboth Avenue – The Fireballs; Gordons Pond – Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park; Herring Point – Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park; Fort Miles – Seashore Striders Youth Cross County; Cape Henlopen State Park entrance – Beacon Honors; Grove Park – Seashore Striders and Sussex Academy cross country; Canal Corkran on Hebron Road – Cape Leo Club; Wolfe Neck Road trailhead – Sussex Tech cross country; Holland Glade Road trail crossing – Cape Honors.

The Cape Henlopen JROTC will present the flags and possibly music along the course at water stops and at Grove Park. Singing the national anthem at the start will be Cape Henlopen High School graduate Kelsey Spence Murphy. Kelsey, a former student of mine at Shields Elementary School, sang the national anthem 25 years ago at the Shields field days. It does not get any more local than that. Kelsey was pictured this week in the Cape Gazette as she brought rousing applause at the Rehoboth tree lighting with her singing of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” The post-race party will again feature Mark Petchey, well known in the Cape area as DJ Petch, a longtime Delaware resident and the morning show host on 102.5 WBOC. The Cultured Pearl will again provide food for the event.

There will be six spectator viewing locations: Boardwalk and Rehoboth Avenue at 2.5 miles; Gordons Pond at 4.5/17.6 miles; Herring Point at 7.1/15.1 miles; Fort Miles at 8.3/14 miles; Grove Park at 19.7/25.7 miles; and Wolfe Neck Road turnaround at 22.6 miles. The race director and race organizer are asking all spectators to only park at the viewing locations, not along the course.

Run with Santa

The 17th annual Run with Santa 5K will begin at 10 a.m., Sunday, Dec. 11, at the Cape Henlopen State Park fishing pier. The beautiful course is through Cape Henlopen State Park to historic Fort Miles and back to the fishing pier on the multi-use paved trail.   

T-shirts will be ordered race week, so register soon. Registration is $25 in advance and $30 on race day. Awards will be presented to the overall, masters and top three finishers in 10 age groups. Register at seashorestriders.com. 

Race into the New Year

The Seashore Striders will end the year Saturday, Dec. 31, with the running of the Race into the New Year 5K and quarter-mile kids’ dash in Rehoboth Beach. The race will start and finish at the Bandstand at the end of Rehoboth Avenue, and head to North Shores and back. More on this event in weeks to come. Register at seashorestriders.com.