Tobacco Road Marathon
The Lowdown
The Tobacco Road Marathon is an annual Boston-qualifying marathon in Cary, North Carolina, first run in 2011 (its 17th edition falls in 2027). More than 20 of the 26.2 miles run on the Rails-to-Trails American Tobacco Trail, keeping the course flat and fast with a downhill finish; roughly one in five finishers qualifies for Boston. The full marathon and half marathon start together at 7:00 AM at the USA Baseball National Training Complex (Thomas Brooks Park) in Cary, with full marathon entries capped at 1,500 runners and a seven-hour course time limit (2:00 PM closure). Veradigm presents the full marathon. Over its history the race has raised more than $2,000,000 for charities including Breakthrough T1D, the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, Hope For The Warriors, and the Triangle Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Relatively flat course
Participants
Field Size
Medium-sized race
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Crowd data unavailable
Boston Qualifier
This race is a certified Boston Marathon qualifying event. Achieve your qualifying standard here on a verified course.
American Tobacco Trail
USA Baseball National Training Complex (Thomas Brooks Park)
Other distances available during the event weekend:
Cary, North Carolina, USA
US
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
Eligibility
- Marathon runners must be at least 16 years old on race day
Entry Methods
- Online registration via the official race website
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Bib transfers permitted online until one month before race day; the original registrant pays no fee and the new runner pays $15.
Deferrals to the following year cost $15 and must be submitted by February 15; no deferrals are granted after that deadline for any reason.
The race does not permit or condone reselling of bibs.
17th edition of the race in 2027; over $2,000,000 raised for charity across race history.
A half marathon (13.1 miles) is run concurrently on the same course/day; this record covers the full marathon only.
Full marathon field capped at 1,500 runners; recent finisher counts have ranged roughly 550-875 in recent years.
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Community
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