Coastal Delaware Running Festival Announces Partnership with Grotto Pizza

Festivals Recreation Sussex

(Coastal Delaware Running Festival)

Certified Race Directors Rick Hundley and Ernie Felici, of Focus Multisports, well known for the Bethany Beach First Responders Triathlon and other area multisports events, have announced the 4th Annual Coastal Delaware Running Festival. This year’s new and exciting presenting sponsor is Grotto Pizza, a Delaware Pizza and Family Restaurant for over 50 Years!

“Partnering with Grotto Pizza is thrilling for us!” said Ernie Felici, Race Director. “Their iconic brand is synonymous with the Delaware Beaches and is helping us to reinforce that the Festival is a weekend-long series of events, offering something for every member of the family, for an early spring get-away at the beach!”

“The Coastal Delaware Running Festival has quickly become one of the premiere events in the area,” said Vinnie DiNatale, Director of Marketing, Grotto Pizza (grottopizza.com) “The festival is a full experience of what there is to offer in Rehoboth Beach, all in one event. Participants and their guests can enjoy the beach, boardwalk, and state park, and to finish it all off with a post race-party at Grotto Pizza, is the perfect way to end a run. We believe it is important to give back to the public and serve the community where we live. Through partnering with Coastal Delaware Running Festival, we are able to support local charities, while showcasing the beauty of the resort area.”

The 5k is on Saturday, April 21, 2018 in Dewey Beach; Full and Half Marathons and 9k on Sunday, April 22 starting and finishing on the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk. The Full and Half Marathons with the 9k will be starting and finishing on the oceanfront boardwalk in beautiful Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and include stretches through Cape Henlopen Seashore State Park and through historic Lewes. The 5k course is in Dewey Beach, and circulates through all of the town’s scenic spots.

“Our new courses are flat and fast, which runners love, not to mention incredibly scenic. The expansion of our events is sure to be welcome. Sunday’s courses circulate through historic Lewes, up and down the coast, and begins and ends in downtown Rehoboth, with the Atlantic Ocean as the back-drop. Saturday’s 5k in Dewey rocks through all of Dewey’s hot spots .” said Rick Hundley.

Dubbed “Delaware’s Coolest Marathon” and designated by Culture Trip, “The Best Race in Every State; VacationRentalHomes.com, a Trip Advisor Company, as the “Best Marathon in Delaware”; recipient of The Runners Choice Award, designated a State of Delaware Championship event by the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) and a Boston Marathon qualifying race, the change in route are sure to delight both veteran and rookie participants.

The Sports Expo and Packet Pick Up will be on Friday, April 20 and Saturday, April 21, 2018. The festivities culminate on Sunday, April 22 with a post-festival party at Grotto Pizza.

The event is a fundraiser for several local charities including the Delaware Seashore Preservation Foundation and its efforts to restore World War II Fire Control Observation Tower #3 located just south of Dewey Beach in Delaware Seashore State Park.

“At Focus Multisports, we believe in the power of philanthropy. We believe in the partnership between for-profit businesses and the non-profit sector. Our alliances strengthen local organizations and provide businesses with a platform to give back. I would say such collaborations are “win/win.” said Race Directors Rick Hundley and Ernie Felici.

For more information, including a full course map or to register visit: www.CoDelRun.com

These Festival is brought to fruition through the generosity of presenting sponsor Grotto Pizza and other sponsors to date including Giant Foods, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Gatorade, The Bellmoor Hotel, The Admiral Hotel, The Oceanus Hotel, The Dewey Beach Hyatt Place, Bethany Beach Ocean Suites, Lighthouse Cove, The Starboard, D3 Corp, Arena’s Restaurants, Creative Resource Group, Dewey Beach Lions Club, Baja Beach House Grill, Cycling Center of Coastal Delaware, J&A Racing, Clean Delaware, NKS Distributors, DJ Rupe, Southern Delaware Tourism, Ann Kangas Public Relations, RACES, Intellicor Printing, New Eyes Productions, The Cultured Pearl, Racine Multi-Sports, Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company, Harvey Hanna & Associates, Beast Pacing, TripAdvisor, US Candids, Delaware Sports Commission, Rehoboth-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce.