The Blog

The New Route will Eliminate the Double Loop Marathon Course by Using the Jack A. Markell Trail

The 2019 Delaware Marathon will include a significant route update!  We are finalizing some course changes that will affect the full marathon and team relay courses.  Based on runner feedback from last year we’ve eliminated the old two-loop marathon course.  The marathon course will continue to run through some of the most scenic parts of downtown Wilmington but the changes will unify the full, half and team relay courses so everyone uses the same routes for the first 13 miles.   There will be no significant changes to the half marathon course.

The second half of the marathon course will utilize much of the newly opened Jack Markell Trail. The trail connects the Wilmington Riverfront and New Castle Battery Park along an off-road pathway consisting of elevated boardwalk, and paved pathways. The trail winds past many popular destinations, including the Wilmington Riverfront, the DuPont Environmental Education Center, the Christina River and the historic sites of New Castle.

 The new course will be USATF certified and satisfy requirements for those looking to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

 Stay tuned for more details, course maps and turn-by-turn directions that will be announced in the coming weeks.

photo credits: Mike Morris/Delaware Greenways