Following cancellation in 2020, Wilmington Marathon held in downtown

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The 11th annual Wilmington Marathon was held Saturday, but it looked a bit different this year than year’s past.

The course began and ended in downtown, with half marathon runners completing the loop once and full marathon runners following the path twice.

After the 2020 race was cancelled due to the pandemic, the 2021 marathon featured waves of 50 runners every 8 minutes to ensure social distancing.

Despite the changes, many runners say it was still a great experience.

“It was almost freeing today,” one runner said. “It was a beautiful run, a beautiful day. The volunteers here were just awesome. That was really nice, because every time you got a little tired there was somebody with a smile around the corner.”

Organizers plan to hold a normal marathon again next year, with the race beginning at Johnny Mercer Pier and ending in downtown Wilmington.