Event Safety


Medical & Safety Info

PROHIBITED ITEMS: For safety and insurance reasons please adhere to the following on the course and in the celebration village: no dogs, no bicycles, no roller blades, no in-line skates, no wheeled vehicles (except wheelchairs). Strollers are NOT permitted on the course but area allowed in the celebration village following a search. Violators may be disqualified and removed from the course or village by a Race Official or security personnel.

COURSE TIME LIMITS: Our agreement with the City of Wilmington requires that we re-open the streets to traffic at 2:00 p.m. All participants should strive to complete the marathon in six hours (13:44 min/mile pace). Back of the pack runners and walkers not keeping pace may be directed to the sidewalks to allow traffic to re-open.

COURSE SAFETY: Each race will be led by a City of Wilmington Police Officer on a motorcycle. Bicycle pacers will also accompany the leaders. City of Wilmington Police officers will be stationed at the major intersections; race volunteers will staff the lower risk traffic intersections. Please note that this is not a closed course, so please remain alert at all intersections and heed the commands of the course marshals and police.

Note: at about the 5 & 18 mile marks, you will traverse a wooden “swinging” footbridge over the Brandywine River. This footbridge has an uneven surface and caution is advised.

MEDICAL COVERAGE: Medical coverage is coordinated by the Christiana Care Health System Emergency Services Department and the New Castle County Emergency Medical Services. Emergency medical response throughout the race venue is coordinated by the New Castle County Paramedics in conjunction with contracted ambulance services and New Castle County Paramedic teams on bicycles.

If a medical need should arise, please contact a member of the medical team, who will be wearing blue safety vests, a Wilmington Police Officer, who are serving as course marshals at major intersections, or a water station captain (wearing an orange safety vest) at each water station on the course. All of these individuals have the ability to contact emergency medical services personnel and request assistance by closed circuit radio.

Each race bib has an area for entry of emergency medical and emergency contact information. Our emergency medical services personnel request that you take a moment to provide medical information and contact information on the back of your race bib (in the unlikely event of an emergency).

The main Medical Tent will be located adjacent to the finishing area. Though it’s not a treatment center, our medical staff will assess each situation and assist in obtaining appropriate treatment for the patient.

If you need medical assistance while on the course, or see someone who does, please inform a water station captain. All our water stations are equipped with closed circuit radios connected to our medical team. Additionally, our volunteer team this year will be wearing brightly colored t-shirts with “EVENT VOLUNTEER” on them.

The Race Director reserves the right to remove any participant from the course.


Bag Policy

PLEASE LEAVE BAGS AT HOME. To provide a safer environment for the public and significantly expedite fan entry into the area, we strongly encourage runners and fans to leave all bags at home or in your vehicle. If you must bring a bag, please make sure it is one that is clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12” x 6” x 12”. No coolers, briefcases, backpacks, fanny packs, cinch bags, luggage of any kind, computer bags and camera bags should be brought on race day or to the expo. Hydration packs will be permitted but are subject to search.

On race day, runners should use the clear plastic bag provided at the expo. Fans can use a one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag (Ziploc bag or similar).

ALL BAGS AND PERSONS ARE SUBJECT TO SEARCH BY ORDER OF THE WILMINGTON CITY POLICE. Please allow for extra time in anticipation of these measures. There will be security search points that you will have to pass and those without bags will proceed through this process much more quickly.

RUNNER’S BAG CHECK (Runners Only)

All runners are encouraged to leave bags at home or in their vehicle to provide a safer environment for the public. However runners only may check their bag at the Bag Check Area located in Tubman Park. Bag Check will be open from 6:30am until 2:30pm. Bags left after this time will be relocated to the Information Tent located near the Runner Renion Zone YOU MUST use a CLEAR BAG. ALL BAGS ARE SUBJECT TO SEARCH. Please allow added time for the search if you plan to use Bag Check. Bag Check is for RUNNERS ONLY.

Your race bib will contain a bag label for identification. We will not handle and items not in a clear bag. Your bag will remain at the Runner’s Bag Check Area until 2:30pm and will be available when you finish. Do not check valuables as we cannot be responsible for lost or stolen articles. You must have your bib number to claim your items. Items not claimed will be donated to charity.


Event Alert System

While we realize that each participant has made a tremendous commitment to be here, the primary goal of the Delaware Marathon Running Festival must be to ensure a safe event for everyone. Therefore the race staff, including our Christiana Care Health System medical professionals and our New Castle County Emergency Management team, will make all decisions about race cancellations or modifications based on the weather and course conditions, considering the safety of everyone that is involved – including the participants, volunteers, spectators, and the host community.

FLAG WARNING SYSTEM

There will be a simple flag color system along the Delaware Marathon Weekend courses to help warn participants of weather or course related problems. Color coded flags and/or signs will be located at the start/ finish areas and at each water station along the course. If negative weather is predicted in the days leading up to the event, we will post flag warning system changes to Facebook and Twitter and notify participants via email. All participants should familiarize themselves with the event alert status system prior to the race and remain alert for directions from race officials and take precautions to properly prepare for varying conditions on race day.

* The wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is a composite temperature used to estimate the effect of temperature, humidity, wind speed (wind chill), and visible and infrared radiation (usually sunlight) on humans. It is used by athletes, to determine appropriate exposure levels to high temperatures.

The race staff reserves the right to cancel or modify the race if deemed necessary to protect the safety of the participants, volunteers, spectators or host community. Unfortunately, since the staging of this race results in substantial up-front costs, regardless of whether the race is completed, cancelled, or modified, there is no guaranteed refunding of race entry fees or future race credits. Such decisions will be communicated by the Race Director on an as needed basis via the communication methods noted above