United States

Wilmington, DE

The Best Places to run in the Wilmington Area, including Newark, Chesapeake City, Delaware City

Flickr: likeaduck

The capital of Delaware has an outsized economy for its size, as home to numerous credit card companies, insurance companies, and many visiting lawyers owing to Delaware’s business-friendly financial regulations. There is terrific mix of running in Wilmington, with an attractive Riverwalk, several paved trails through the city’s numerous parks, lovely residential neighborhoods, and bucolic spots that are the public legacy of the du Pont family. Our thanks to Kassie Helm for several route suggestions and maps!

The best place to run in central Wilmington is a series of trails that start in Brandywine Park and continue through through Alapocas Run State Park, Rockwood Park, and Bellevue State Park for 8+ miles, using the Delaware North Greenway Trail as the connector. The Jack A. Markell Trail includes the Riverwalk and a section through the Russell Peterson Wildlife Refuge. Enjoy some of Wilmington’s bucolic residential neighborhoods in our Parkway run. And it’s worth the $20 admission fee to run the trails and roads of Winterthur. For trail running, Brandywine Creek State Park is the best bet in Wilmington. If you have time, it’s worth the 20-minute drive to Newark to enjoy the Reservoir loop, several paved rail trails, and extensive trail running in White Clay Creek State Park. Further south, the C&D Canal Trail between Chesapeake City and Delaware City is a pretty run of up to 14 miles. Good trail running in Lums Pond State Park.

Note that summers in the area can be hot and humid. Make sure to hydrate properly and go early!

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Delaware Running Company is the signature running store in the area, with locations in Wilmington and Newark. They have an extensive Group Run schedule: https://www.delawarerunning.com/drc-club

There are also two New Balance outlets in the area.

Looking for road or trail races in this area? Find them on RaceRaves, the best online race calendar and reviews community for runners!

Find races in Wilmington, DE

The Delaware Distance Classic is a 15K road race held in October by the Pike Creek Valley Running Club (PCVRC). The course has rotated every few years based on sponsorship and is currently located in nearby Delaware City. The event began in 1983 as a fundraiser for the PCVRC, and the Mike Clark Legacy Foundation has been the beneficiary for the last few years.

The Caesar Rodney Half Marathon is road race held annually since 1964 on the second Sunday in March. Billed by race organizers as the “granddaddy of Delaware road races,” it generally draws more than 1,000 runners from 20 states and several countries. From the starting line at Wilmington’s Rodney Square, runners flow past the scenic revitalized riverfront, through Rockford Park and back to Rodney Square at the Caesar Rodney statue. Proceeds benefit the American Lung Association of Delaware.

The Run for the Buds 1/2 Marathon, 1/2 Marathon Relay, and 5K Run/Walk is held annually at Rockford Park in mid-October. Proceeds benefit people with intellectual disabilities through the Down Syndrome Association of Delaware.

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