North Carolina · Marathon
Marathons in North Carolina
North Carolina currently has 16 upcoming marathons with a confirmed date listed in RaceRove. Boone, Greensboro, Asheville and Charlotte have the largest concentration of events.
October (4), April (3) and January (2) are the busiest months on the calendar right now. Another 12 annual marathons are waiting for next year's date to be announced.
- Upcoming, date confirmed
- 16
- Active listings
- 28
- Cities with races
- 23
More ways to browse North Carolina
Upcoming marathons in North Carolina
All 16 with a confirmed date, soonest first.
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Asheville Marathon and HalfAsheville, NCHalf Marathon (Downtown AVL)Marathon (Downtown AVL)VIRTUAL Half MarathonVIRTUAL Marathon
Dates come from each race's own listing. Always confirm on the organiser's site before you book travel.
Largest marathon events in North Carolina
By estimated field size across all distances at the event.
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Charlotte MarathonCharlotte, NC Usually held in November · date not confirmedMarathonHalf5K ~5,000 runners
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City of Oaks MarathonRaleigh, NC Usually held in November · date not confirmedMarathonHalf10K5K ~5,000 runners
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Outer Banks MarathonKitty Hawk, NC Usually held in November · date not confirmedMarathonHalf ~5,000 runners
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Tobacco Road MarathonCary, NC Usually held in March · date not confirmedMarathonHalf ~4,000 runners
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Wrightsville Beach MarathonWrightsville Beach, NC Usually held in February · date not confirmedMarathonHalf ~3,500 runners
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Asheville Marathon and Half at Biltmore EstateAsheville, NC Usually held in March · date not confirmedMarathonHalf Marathon ~2,500 runners
When marathons happen in North Carolina
- January
- 2 upcoming races
- February
- 2 upcoming races
- March
- 1 upcoming race
- April
- 3 upcoming races
- May
- 1 upcoming race
- October
- 4 upcoming races
- November
- 2 upcoming races
- December
- 1 upcoming race
North Carolina cities with the most marathons
- Boone
- 2 upcoming races
- Greensboro
- 2 upcoming races
- Asheville
- 1 upcoming race
- Charlotte
- 1 upcoming race
- Bald Head Island
- 1 upcoming race
- Black Mountain
- 1 upcoming race
- Connelly Springs
- 1 upcoming race
- Elizabeth City
- 1 upcoming race
Annual events awaiting their next date
These marathons are held every year, but the next date isn't in the listing yet. The month shown is when each is usually held.
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Charlotte MarathonCharlotte, NC Usually held in November · date not confirmedMarathonHalf5K ~5,000 runners
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City of Oaks MarathonRaleigh, NC Usually held in November · date not confirmedMarathonHalf10K5K ~5,000 runners
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Outer Banks MarathonKitty Hawk, NC Usually held in November · date not confirmedMarathonHalf ~5,000 runners
-
Tobacco Road MarathonCary, NC Usually held in March · date not confirmedMarathonHalf ~4,000 runners
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Wrightsville Beach MarathonWrightsville Beach, NC Usually held in February · date not confirmedMarathonHalf ~3,500 runners
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Asheville Marathon and Half at Biltmore EstateAsheville, NC Usually held in March · date not confirmedMarathonHalf Marathon ~2,500 runners
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RDC MarathonDurham, NC Usually held in October · date not confirmedMarathonHalf10K5K ~1,800 runners
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North Carolina MarathonHigh Point, NC Usually held in November · date not confirmedMarathon ~1,500 runners
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Dark Horse Trail Series (26.2 - 13.1 - 10k)Mill Spring, NC Usually held in August · next date not announcedMarathonHalf Marathon10K5K
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Fall 2026 Adult Full & Half Marathon Training Evening - ApexApex, NC Usually held in August · next date not announcedMarathon10K5K
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Fall 2026 Adult Full & Half Marathon Training Morning - CaryApex, NC Usually held in August · next date not announcedMarathon10K5K
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Fall 2026 Adult Full & Half Marathon Training Morning - Holly SpringsHolly Springs, NC Usually held in August · next date not announcedMarathon10K5K
Marathons in nearby states
Guides from the RaceRove blog
- 7 min read How to Find a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon or Marathon Near You A practical way to find running races near you: pick a distance, decide how far you'll travel, read the listing properly and confirm the details before you register.
- 9 min read How to Run a Race in All 50 States How to plan a 50-state running challenge: set your own rules, group states into trips, build a calendar around the seasons, budget for it and keep track of every finish.
- 8 min read How to Choose the Best Half Marathon for a PR, Racecation or 50-State Challenge The best half marathon depends on what you want from it. How to choose a course for a personal record, a race worth travelling for, or an efficient stop on a 50-state challenge.
- Blog All guides Planning advice for finding, choosing and travelling to races.
Marathons in North Carolina: common questions
- How many marathons are there in North Carolina?
- RaceRove currently lists 16 upcoming marathons in North Carolina with a confirmed date, plus 12 annual events whose next date hasn't been announced yet.
- How long is a marathon?
- A marathon is 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometres).
- Which North Carolina cities have the most marathons?
- By upcoming events listed in RaceRove: Boone (2), Greensboro (2), Asheville (1), Charlotte (1) and Bald Head Island (1).
- When is marathon season in North Carolina?
- Of the upcoming marathons listed, the busiest months are October (4), April (3) and January (2).
- What is the biggest marathon in North Carolina?
- By estimated field size, the largest event with a marathon listed in North Carolina is the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon, with about 12,000 runners across all of its distances.
Search every marathon in North Carolina
Filter by month, course profile and field size, save races to a shortlist and compare them side by side in the interactive search.