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My uncle and I are running the Fathers Day 5K at Rehoboth Beach on June 21. It’s become a family tradition at the Delaware beaches in the summer — and this year I wanted to actually write about it, because the event is part of something bigger than just one race.

The Seashore Striders Summer Racing Series is a multi-race series organized by the Seashore Striders Running Club, which has been putting on events at Rehoboth Beach and Lewes since 1988. The series runs from late May through early August, with races almost every weekend at different beach venues. Some are on the boardwalk. One starts inside a water park. One is on July 4th at 7:30 in the morning with a costume contest. It’s a genuinely fun community calendar if you spend any time at the Delaware beaches during the summer.

Whether you’re a runner looking to race a few of them or just looking for something to do on a Saturday morning in Rehoboth, here’s the full schedule and what to know about each one.

Who Are the Seashore Striders?

The Seashore Striders are a running and walking club based out of Rehoboth Beach and Lewes, founded in 1988. They produce over 60 events a year across the Delaware beach region, serving runners and walkers of all levels. The club runs weekly group runs, youth cross country programming for kids aged 8–18, and the Summer Racing Series that has become a fixture of the beach community’s summer calendar.

The series is open to everyone. You don’t need to be a club member to register, and events typically attract a mix of competitive runners chasing times and casual participants out for a Saturday morning before the beach crowds arrive.

More at seashorestriders.com.

The 2026 Summer Racing Series — Race by Race

To qualify for the end-of-series overall awards, you need to complete at least one five-miler and at least five 5Ks across the series. Most people just pick the ones that fit their weekends.

SSRS #4 — 36th Fathers Day 5K June 21 · Rehoboth Beach

This is the one my uncle and I are doing. The race starts at Rehoboth Avenue and the Boards — the boardwalk — which is as classic a Delaware beach race start as it gets. The course is flat and fast. It’s the 36th running of the event, which also makes it one of the oldest 5Ks in Rehoboth Beach. Proceeds go to the Seashore Strider Youth Cross Country Team. Start time is 7:30am. Registration closes at midnight June 20; race-day registration opens at 6am and closes at 7:15am.

If you’re at the beach that weekend, this is the one worth coming out for as a spectator — the boardwalk start has energy.

SSRS #5 — 22nd Jungle Jim’s 5K June 27 · Rehoboth

One of the more unique race setups in the series — it starts and finishes inside Jungle Jim’s Water Park on Coastal Highway. The course heads out through the Country Club of Rehoboth Beach on an out-and-back. Post-race, participants get access to the lazy river and one ride before the park opens to the public at 10am. Proceeds benefit the Children’s Beach House of Lewes. Start time 7:30am.

SSRS #6 — 6th Beebe Heroes 5K June 28 · Lewes

Held in Lewes the day after Jungle Jim’s, this one benefits Beebe Healthcare — the regional hospital system serving Sussex County. 7:30am start. Lewes is a 10-minute drive from Rehoboth, worth making the trip up for the event and breakfast afterward in the historic district.

SSRS #7 — Cape Gazette 36th Firecracker 5K July 4 · Grove Park, Rehoboth Beach

The Independence Day race. Starts at 7:30am at Grove Park (1 Grove Street, Rehoboth Beach). Features an Independence Day atmosphere, a Stars, Stripes & Stride costume contest, and a post-race breakfast. If you’re in Rehoboth for the Fourth and wake up early enough, this is a good way to start the holiday before the beach crowds hit. Sponsored by the Cape Gazette, Morris James LLP, and ChristianaCare. Proceeds go to local charities.

SSRS #8 — 44th Seashore 5-Miler July 12 · Grove Park, Rehoboth Beach

The only five-mile race in the summer series — and the one you need to complete if you’re chasing the overall series award. Start time 7:30am at Grove Park. The longer distance and the course through the park make this one a bit different from the 5K events. If you’ve been doing the 5Ks and want to see how you hold up over five miles, this is the test.

SSRS #9 — 43rd Dam Mill 5K July 26 · Cupola Park, Millsboro

This one pulls the series inland a bit — Millsboro is about 25 minutes west of Rehoboth on Route 24. Cupola Park is a nice venue and the course has a different character than the beach events. Worth doing if you want the series qualifier and can make the drive.

SSRS #10 — 18th Race for the Paws 5K August 1 · Dewey Beach

The final summer series race, held at the Dewey Lions Club in Dewey Beach. Dewey is a quieter stretch of beach just south of Rehoboth — smaller, more local-feeling, and a good place to wrap up the summer series. An early August Saturday at Dewey Beach with a 5K is a hard combination to complain about.

Registration and Series Info

All events register through RunSignUp. Links for each race are on the Seashore Striders race schedule at seashorestriders.com/race-schedule. Most races open race-day registration starting at 6am with a cutoff at 7:15am, but pre-registration is always cheaper and guarantees a shirt.

Early bird pricing typically runs $25–30. Pre-registration bumps to $30–35. Race-day is $40. If you’re planning to do multiple races, register early across the board — it adds up.

Packet pickup for most events is at the start line, which keeps logistics simple. Parking for the Rehoboth events is on Rehoboth Avenue and Wilmington Avenue, short walk to the starts.

Worth Getting Up Early For

I own property in Hockessin and manage rentals in Conshohocken — the Delaware beaches are an hour and a half south, and I’m not down there every weekend. But when I am, the race calendar is genuinely one of the better ways to start the day. You’re at the beach, it’s early enough that the boardwalk isn’t crowded yet, and there’s usually a solid post-race scene at wherever the event is hosted.

My uncle runs these consistently. This summer he got me in on the Fathers Day 5K and I’m looking forward to it. If you’re going to be in Rehoboth or Lewes any of these weekends, the Seashore Striders events are worth building a beach morning around.