The Delco 10-Miler wants to double in size after a successful inaugural run

After a successful inaugural Delco 10-Miler this year, organizers are planning to take another lap in 2026.

Next year’s race will allow up to 2,500 runners, more than double the number who participated this year. The race, in September, was capped at 1,200 runners — and filled every available spot — to make sure everything went smoothly.

And smoothly it went, as runners traversed the course through Upper Providence, Media, Nether Providence, and Chester to the Philadelphia Union’s Subaru Park.

“The participants loved it,” race director Kevin Nolan said. “I couldn’t believe the enthusiasm and the collaboration between all the towns … and all the police in those towns and public works departments. It was pretty spectacular.”

Drivers in the area were less enthusiastic.

“I personally was screamed at once or twice,” Nolan said. Roads were closed for only about 30 minutes in the Media area and police in Chester, closer to the finish line, were letting traffic through before runners arrived, he said.

Increased promotion of the event will be on the to-do list for the next race, according to Nolan. Some churches along the route of the Sunday morning race said they weren’t notified about the event. Other planned changes include small adjustments to the route and the starting line, like a louder PA system.

Nolan may pick a later date for next year’s race. That decision is expected within the next 30 days.

“We don’t necessarily want to compete with the Philadelphia Distance Run, which is a week before, so we think we might move it to October,” Nolan said. “There’s also some other events, and we also have to work with the Union to make sure that we can pick an evergreen date that won’t ever be a problem.”

Registration is expected to open in January.

The race raised $36,000 for the Delaware County Parks and Recreation Department, the Delaware County Arts Consortium, and the HEADstrong Foundation.

» READ MORE: For this marathoner, a foot in each state

Nolan is no stranger to running or planning races. He’s run a marathon in all 50 states (his favorite was the Catalina Island Marathon in California) and has been directing races for 25 years, including the annual Reindeer Romp in Havertown, which has raised about $800,000 for the American Cancer Society over more than two decades.

Missed out on the Delco 10-Miler? Registration is still open for the Reindeer Romp, which takes place on Saturday, Dec. 13, in Havertown, followed by a pub crawl.

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