The climate of North Carolina is controlled largely by its relative location to the Atlantic Ocean, which gives is mild winters and hot summers. The Tar Heel State offers many natural wonders that you should take some time to see while running a race here. Some of these sights include the Appalachian Mountains, the Atlantic Coast, and the perhaps some of the 17 major river basins that flow through the state.
Umstead Trail Marathon – Raleigh
The Umstead Trail Marathon is run completely within the Umstead State Park. Umstead State Park is around five thousand-acres and features lakes, streams, hills, and trails that carry the runners between Raleigh, Cary, and Durham, and dense forests. This marathon is fairly challenging, especially if you are use to road races. Learn more here!
The Course
The Umstead Trail Marathon takes place in Raleigh and has a total elevation gain of 909 feet. The course starts at 406 elevation and reaches a max elevation of 500 feet. The course has some pretty technical single-track stretches, but the majority of the course it run on the bridle trails in which are covered with gravel. You will need to watch your step while running this race, you may find rocks, roots, and other potential tripping hazards along the course.
Credit: MapMyRun
Reviews
“My first marathon, and I couldn’t have picked a better one. Doing most of my long training runs at Umstead definitely prepared me for race day, but I still got my butt kicked around mile 23 (good, old Cedar Ridge). The event organization, volunteers, aid stations, other runners, and the park itself were simply awesome. I plan on making this an annual event and would recommend this marathon to anyone who wants a challenge.”-R.D., Marathonguide.com
“I sure picked a challenge for my first marathon! But I enjoyed this race immensely. There are many long, gradual hills and only a few super steep spots, which I thought was manageable. It was nice to get the single track portions of the race over with at the beginning because this year was wet (poured on us right at the start) and the trail was very muddy. The rest of the course was nice to run on (save a couple miles near the end, which were a little rocky). The mile markers were helpful, as were the volunteers throughout the course, at the aid stations, and on bicycle patrol, even for those of us at the back of the pack. The runners were friendly and encouraging as well. Good registration process, especially since there were two registration periods to accommodate more runners to fill dropped spots. A nifty goody bag and finisher’s pint glass were the cherries on top! Thanks for a great experience – I’ll remember it always.”– Rachel Granzow, Marathonguide.com
Ellerbe Spring Marathon-Ellerbe
This is a runner’s race. With the Ellerbe Spring Marathon, you will not find all the bells and whistles you may be used to in larger races. It’s a small race without an expo, chip timers, or any other added frills. The course is beautiful and fairly secluded. As an added bonus, at the end of the race you can indulge on homemade chicken and dumplings. Check for updates here.
The Course
The Ellerbe Spring Marathon follows a single loop path and has a total elevation gain of 920 feet. The course starts and ends at an elevation of 415 feet and reaches a max elevation of 595 feet around mile 13. There are two fairly steep climbs on this course, they can be found at mile 4.6 and mile 11. This is a fairly small race with around 100 runners participating in the marathon. This course is USATF certified and is a Boston Qualifier.
Credit: MapMyRun
Reviews
“This is a great early spring race! The course is definitely very hilly and runs through some beautiful country. It’s a small race, so no corrals, expo or any of that junk – just get out there and run. The people who put this race on obviously care a great deal about putting on an enjoyable event.”– P.B., Marathonguide.com
“Sweet little town with hospitable innkeepers helping to set the tone, Ellerbe is an ideal location for a destination marathon. The course is a beautiful trek through the roads in a green pine forest. Though very hilly the air is clean and the roads are clear. The volunteers were helpful and well-organized. Very charming race by an excellent race director. I won’t forget this one!”-K.L., Marathonguide.com
Black Mountain Marathon-Black Mountain
The Black Mountain Marathon is a very challenging and rewarding course. Many runners raved about the great race organization. They commented that aid stations were well stocked and well spaced. Without a doubt, this is a challenging race, but it will be one that you will never forget. Get registered here.
The Course
The Black Mountain Marathon is an out and back course with over half a mile of total elevation gain. The race starts and ends at 2,371 feet and it reaches its max elevation of 5,344 around mile 13. The course is a gradual climb until the midpoint of the race and then declines steadily from there. If you choose to run this race, be prepared for a steep grade and a difficult course.
Credit: MapMyRun
Reviews
“If you’re looking for a challenge and a scenic course, the Black Mountain Marathon is an excellent choice. With 3,000 feet worth of elevation gain before the 15-mile mark, a sometimes rocky trail, the risk of snow and ice, and a final descent that includes a 1-mile section with a nearly 20% grade, the race is tough. However, it’s also beautiful and rewarding. Easily my favorite of the three marathons I’ve run.” – N.M., Marathonguide.com
“This is a fantastic run. The course is difficult, but mostly runnable. Organization is nearly flawless, aid stations were well stocked, and there were amazing volunteers. Save something for the declines, or the steep slants will pound your body into submission before the finish. Anyone looking for a mountain trail marathon will love this one. Best goodies for finishers that I’ve ever seen.” – M.K., Marathonguide.com
Allscripts Tobacco Road Marathon-Cary
The Tobacco Road Marathon donates 100% of their proceeds to charity. In 2015, they had donated, cumulatively, over a half a million dollars to various charities like The Wounded Warrior Project, The American Red Cross, and Triangle Rails to Trails Conservancy. The race directors usually expect around 4,500 runners and 7,000 spectators. There is a pre-race expo where you can sample drinks and snacks and sign up for a pace group. Following the race, there is a post-race party complete with homemade bread and butter, fresh fruit, chocolate milk, pizza, beer, and music. Find out more here.
The Course
The Tobacco Road Marathon is described as a fast, flat,and fun marathon that will give you a great chance to qualify for the Boston Marathon. In fact, about 10% of runners end up qualifying for the Boston Marathon with this race! The scenic course is shaded and offers great running conditions since this marathon takes place in March. The course is a loop, and while it is described as a “flat course” one runner commented that there are rolling hills throughout the entire course that will keep you focused and awake!
Credit: MapMyRun
Reviews
“This was my third and favorite marathon. The first and last three miles are on road; the rest is on the lovely, shaded, flat Tobacco Trail. More GU, Chomps, and water/Gatorade stops than you could need, and supportive spectators handing out things like free beer shots. We were lucky to have perfect weather, which didn’t hurt. Lots of photographers along the course and at the finish. A great finish festival with massages, pizza, fruit, bakery-fresh bread. Oh, and an attractive, hefty medal. I know, it’s silly, but I’m all about the medal. I was impressed with how well it was organized since it was a first-time marathon.” – J.M., Marathonguide.com
“This was one of the most enjoyable marathons I have run. Well organized from sign up all the way through to the post race event with food, drink, live music. The course was a little uphill for 2 miles to the railroad track and pretty straight from there with no sharp turns or bottlenecks to slow you down. Nice scenery and gentle curves all the way. Tree cover against any sun but not enough to affect my GPS reception. The flat straight course together with the downhill finish helped me to a new PB and and a BQ time so I could ring the bell and collect the special BQ t-shirt. Great marathon and highly recommended.” – B.K., Marathonguide.com
Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon
Although this marathon is called the Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon, you will only spend about 10% of the time on the beach, the rest of the race you will spend in Wilmington. The race ends at the University of North Carolina where NCAA March Madness basketball tournament is just kicking off. The entire marathon has a “March Madness” theme complete with college-themed cheer stations, DJ’s, and bands. Find out more here.
The Course
The Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon has a total elevation gain of 366 feet. The race starts at 7 feet below sea level and reaches a max elevation of 37 feet at 10.33 miles. The course is fairly flat but does have some gentle rolling hills. This being said, this is a good course to shoot for a Boston Qualifying time or a new P.R. Along the course, the aid stations are well stocked with multiple flavors of Gatorade, water, fresh fruit, gels, Coke, and Twizzlers. The course does repeat in a few sections, but if your support group is camped out at one of these locations you get to hear them cheering multiple times before you meet them at the finish line.
Credit: MapMyRun
Reviews
“Traveled 5 hours to participate in the marathon and was not disappointed. The activities the night before were awesome and there were many great vendors to assist you with everything you would need to be successful. You could enjoy the speakers while having a pasta dinner with all the fixings (including free Samuel Adams beer). The course was flat but had a lot of turns and even with the mat over the drawbridge you still had to be very careful crossing. There were a lot of aid stations manned by college teams with everything from water to candy bars not to mention the support and cowbells along the way. I have never seen that many spectators at a race before, it was like everyone in the town came out to cheer you on. At the end everyone that finished received a very nice finishers metal (bling) and again free Samuel Adams beer. This is by far one of the most organized and most fun races I have participated in and will definitely run it again.” – R.W., Marathonguide.com
“I loved the Wrightsville Beach Marathon! The two-loop course is very flat except for a few gentle rollers in the Landfall neighborhood (which is beautiful, BTW). The aid stations were plentiful and well-stocked, and each had multiple port-o-johns. The post-race was great, with a live band, free NC craft beer, and a large food tent. The age group awards were custom-printed growlers, that you could get filled at a nearby beer store – very unique! I also thought Tom Clifford, and his crew, did an outstanding job organizing this event… I’ll definitely be back!” – D.W., Marathonguide.com