(Easton, February 21) Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (DLNHC) has opened registration for the 2024 St. Luke’s D&L RaceFest, Sunday, November 10. St. Luke’s D&L RaceFest is a four-race event that showcases the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton with a majority of the race miles on the beautiful D&L Trail that connects them.

Registration link and full event information is available at race.delawareandlehigh.org.

The four signature races that comprise RaceFest are the St. Luke’s D&L Marathon – “The Lehigh Valley’s marathon”, the St. Luke’s D&L Marathon Relay, the D&L Heritage Half Marathon Run and the D&L Heritage Half Marathon Walk, presented by St. Luke’s. The 26.2-mile marathon course – a Boston qualifier — travels from downtown Allentown to Easton and the 13.1-mile half marathon course starts in Historic Bethlehem and ends at the same finish line in Easton next to Scott Park. Both courses are USA Track and Field-certified.

More than 2,200 registrants are expected for the four races in 2024. In 2023, DLNHC held the inaugural RaceFest with support from title sponsor St. Luke’s University Health Network and other partners across the Lehigh Valley. By midday November 12, DLNHC congratulated 1,233 individuals as they crossed the finish line. Participants traveled from 28 different states, some from as far as California and Montana to run or walk in the event. There was high participation from residents of the Lehigh Valley, though about half of registrants hailed from outside Lehigh and Northampton counties.

“Feedback from our racers in 2023 was overwhelmingly positive, so we can’t wait to provide another memorable event in 2024,” said Race Director Michael Drabenstott. “We have a lot of room to scale this race and bring more people into the Lehigh Valley to enjoy challenging themselves on the treasure that is the D&L Trail. It’s a unique racing experience that is well on its way to becoming a marquee event on the mid-Atlantic’s fall race calendar.”

The 2024 event marks the 1oth time the half marathon race has welcomed walkers with their own category. The D&L Heritage Half Marathon presented by St. Luke’s remains one of the most walker-friendly races on the East Coast.

Local businesses also showed their support for the event by offering discounts and freebies, encouraging RaceFest participants to explore the region during RaceFest weekend.

St. Luke’s D&L RaceFest is a major fundraiser for DLNHC, a nationally designated heritage area that works to preserve, interpret, and celebrate the heritage of its five-county region. Proceeds from the event go toward heritage education programs and the ongoing development and stewardship of the D&L Trail and its connection through the Lehigh Valley.

 

Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that preserves the historic pathway that carried coal and iron from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol. Through key programs like the D&L Trail, St. Luke’s D&L RaceFest, National Canal Museum, and Get Your Tail on the Trail, DLNHC connects people to nature, culture, communities, recreation, and our industrial heritage. For more information, visit delawareandlehigh.org.

 

Information provided to TVL by:
Gianna Caruso | Communications Coordinator
Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Inc.
delawareandlehigh.org | canals.org

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