Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon
Rehoboth Beach, United States · December · Independent
Why people love it
- Boston qualifier with a flat profile of about 82 m (269 ft) of gain.
- Finish tent with hot buffet, DJ and three drink tickets.
- Start and finish by the boardwalk bandstand in a walkable beach town.
- Aid about every 3 km (2 mi), with gels and pickle juice at some stops.
- Free street parking near the start in December.
Watch out for
- About 10 km (6 mi) of crushed-stone trail, with a slippery bridge near 8 km (5 mi).
- Cold: starts of -3 to 3 °C (26 to 38 °F) and wind chills near -9 °C (15 °F).
- Narrow out-and-back turnarounds and trail crowding with half runners and walkers.
- No expo, no official gear check and few start toilets.
- Sold out in 2022, and no airport lies within 70 km (45 mi).
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Moderate
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.1
RaceRaves rates it 4.2 from 82 ratings (45 marathon). Runners love the after-party and flat course; detractors found the trail dull and the start disorganised. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.9
RaceRaves production is 4.3. Strong communication, but reports of a start with no countdown, few toilets, no gear check and a missing halfway mat. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.7
Flat, with a seven-hour cutoff, free parking and a big party. Cold, a trail surface and a shared course with half walkers are the catch. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast3.6
Boston qualifier with about 82 m (269 ft) of gain, but 10 km (6 mi) of crushed stone, narrow turnarounds and cold slow runners. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryBeautiful3.6
RaceRaves scenery is 4.0. Boardwalk, ocean and bay glimpses, WWII bunkers and marsh; some find the trail stretches dull. · Medium confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points2.9
Several out-and-backs with a narrow turnaround. Half and full share 14 km (9 mi), and walkers slowed marathoners late. · Medium confidence
- Road surfaceMixed2.7
Crushed stone with some rocks, a slippery bridge near 8 km (5 mi) and mud after rain. Town and boardwalk sections are smooth. · Medium confidence
- Road closuresPartly closed3.4
Town streets are closed for the start and much of the route is park path. No traffic conflicts reported. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessMostly flat4.2
About 82 m (269 ft) of gain per one reviewer. Official text says mostly flat with small hills in Cape Henlopen. · Medium confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
An out-and-back with no net drop. · Medium confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSome waiting3.3
Heated bandstand toilets, pace flags and free parking, but no countdown, few toilets and no official gear check reported in 2024 and 2025. · Medium confidence
- Pacers and timingGood3.7
Pace groups from 3:00 to 5:30 in 2017 and app tracking. A 2026 report found no halfway mat. · Medium confidence
- Crowd supportDecent3.0
Support is low and clustered around aid stations and the boardwalk start. A 2019 blogger never felt crowded. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsGood3.8
Water and sports drink about every 3 km (2 mi), with gels and pickle juice at some stops. Some stations were thin recently. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindSome wind2.8
Exposed coastal and bay sections. Cold, windy starts were reported in 2017 and 2019. · Medium confidence
- Air temperatureWarm or cool3.0
Starts of -3 to 3 °C (26 to 38 °F) and highs of 3 to 13 °C (38 to 55 °F). Cold, but manageable. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable2.8
December varies: ideal low-40s °F (about 5 °C (41 °F)) in 2017, snow the day before in other years, and cold, wet and windy in 2022. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints3.2
Start and finish share the boardwalk and out-and-backs let supporters see runners, but trail sections are not accessible. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level5.0
Atlantic coast at sea level, about 3 m (10 ft). · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood3.6
Off-season hotels are plentiful, though a 2017 runner found last-minute rooms limited. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.7
Off-season rates are described as affordable. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable4.0
Start and finish at the boardwalk bandstand, with town hotels and restaurants within walking distance and free parking. · Medium confidence
- Travel easeOne connection2.8
No big airport nearby: Salisbury about 70 km (45 mi), Philadelphia about 190 km (120 mi), BWI about 200 km (125 mi). · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.6
No expo. Packet pickup is at Rehoboth Beach Running Company the day before or at the start on race morning. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGood4.3
Reviewers call it a delightful beach town, with Dogfish Head beer and a hot buffet in the finish tent. · Medium confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inRegister early3.2
Capped near 3,000 across both races and sold out in 2022. Price rises close to race day. · Medium confidence
- Value for moneyGood value3.6
Entry rose from about USD 100 to 160 in 2017. Heated tent with hot food, drink tickets, medal and ornament; shirts run small. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Rehoboth Beach, Sussex County, United States
- Typical month
- December
- Latest or next date
- 5 December 2026
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 1,250 athletes
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- out-and-back
- Climbing
- 82 m (270 ft)
- Start time
- 07:00
- Cutoff
- 7 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Road, boardwalk, hard-packed and crushed-stone trail
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Yes
- Air temperature
- -3–8 °C (27–46 °F)
- Humidity
- Moderate
- Altitude
- 3 m (10 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico (SBY), 70 km (43 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Rehoboth Beach town centre, Boardwalk
- Booking
- Off-season hotel rates are reasonable; a 2017 runner found last-minute rooms limited. Many hotels are a short walk from the boardwalk start.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRavesRaced 2025 · aggregator · Positive
82 ratings (45 marathon), 4.2 overall; difficulty 2.0, scenery 4.0, production 4.3, swag 3.6. Runners praise the after-party, volunteers and flat boardwalk and trail course; common complaints are crowding on the trail, cold, thin aid at times and a disorganised start.
“Flat course, great communication, cold weather.”
- MarathonGuideRaced 2023 · aggregator · Positive
Four reviews, 3.8 average. Flat fast course with many out-and-back trail sections, a lively post-race party, easy parking, but too few toilets, a poorly signed clothing drop and muddy trail after rain; a lit Christmas tree at the start.
“Flat course”
- Running the Keystone StateRaced 2019 · blog · Positive
Cold windy start with a sunrise; almost flat out-and-backs on rail-trail-type surface through Cape Henlopen, praised volunteers and the Sporthive app, heated bandstand toilets and parking, pacers offered.
“I never once felt like the route was crowded.”
- Marathon Training AcademyRaced 2017 · blog · Positive
Sea-level route with minor hills, hard-packed trail from about 5 km (3 mi) to 13 km (8 mi), aid every 3 km (2 mi) with gels and pickle juice, an ice cream stop near 16 km (10 mi), ideal low-40s °F (5 °C), pace groups 3:00 to 5:30, a big Dogfish Head after-party and costly late registration.
“It really was ideal running temps.”
- My 50 States Running JourneyRaced 2017 · blog · Positive
Mostly trail, mild early hills, a slippery bridge near mile 5 (8 km), plentiful water, Gatorade and GU, cold windy start. Disliked plastic cups, a half bib mix-up and oversize shirts; called the after-party one of the best she had seen.
“It is a delightful beach town”
Show 1 more
- Cape GazetteRaced 2024 · article · neutral
Dec 7, 2024 race report: 3,200 registered, 3,182 finished (1,266 marathon, 1,916 half), runners from 46 states, winners 2:38:45 and 2:50:02. Cold day; confirms size and national draw.
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Sources
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