Tobacco Road Marathon course on the American Tobacco Trail
The 17th Tobacco Road Marathon is on Sunday, March 14, 2027, starting at 7:00 a.m. at USA Baseball/Thomas Brooks Park in Cary. The marathon spends 21 miles on the American Tobacco Trail, and the race bills the rest of the course as flat and fast with a downhill finish. It says up to 20 percent of its runners qualify for Boston, and that it has the most Boston qualifiers and highest percent of any marathon in North Carolina. An all-volunteer board runs it, and it has raised over $2,000,000 for charities.
Runsy is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Tobacco Road Marathon. Course facts come from the race's own pages and its USATF certificate.
USATF certified · NC24005BDS
Tobacco Road Marathon
Cary, NC
Race day
Sunday, March 14, 2027
22weeks to go · 154 days
- Distance
- Marathon
- Net drop
- 0m
Verified Oct 11, 2026 from tobaccoroadmarathon.com
The Tobacco Road Marathon course, section by section
Sections and mile points from the race's course maps page. The race does not give a mile for the southern turnaround.
| Miles | Section |
|---|---|
| 0 to 2.5 | Start |
| 2.5 to 8.5 | North on the trail |
| 8.5 to 14.5 | Back south |
| 14.5 on | South on the trail |
| To 26.2 | Finish |
Source: Tobacco Road Marathon: Course Maps, home page. Checked 11 October 2026.
Elevation: a 47 m band, start and finish level
The race names its USA Track and Field certificate on its course maps page: NC24005BDS for the full marathon. The certificate puts the start and finish at 98 m above sea level, the lowest point at 70 m and the highest at 117 m, so the course stays inside a 47 m (about 154 ft) band and finishes exactly as high as it starts. It describes the course as an out and back.
A certificate does not give the total climb in between. The race says the course is flat and fast with a downhill finish, and the B.A.A. adjusts qualifying times only for a net downhill of 1,500 ft (457.2 m) or more, so a Tobacco Road time goes in as run. See our Boston qualifying times and the BQ Course Index.
Race morning schedule
From the race's 2027 race day schedule. Everything starts and finishes at USA Baseball, 7445 Green Hope School Road, Cary.
| What |
|---|
| Buses from remote parking |
| Recommended final arrival at the race site |
| Bag check opens |
| Pacers line up |
| National anthem |
| Race start |
| Final casual starts |
| Full marathon first cutoff, mile 14.5 at Morrisville Parkway |
| Firm course cutoff |
Source: Tobacco Road Marathon: Race Day Schedule. Checked 11 October 2026.
How to pace the Tobacco Road Marathon
This section is Runsy's advice, not the race's. It is how we would run this course from the facts above.
- Train on the surface. Most of the race is crushed granite. Run some long runs on a granite or gravel greenway so your stride is used to it.
- Use the choice of surface. For about four miles after mile 4 you can run the paved trail or the granite side path. Pick one and stay on it rather than weaving.
- Turnarounds cost seconds. There are two. Slow into them, turn tight, and settle back to pace.
- Keep something for the finish. The race describes a downhill finish on paved roads after the trail. That is where a held-back effort pays.
- Know the first cutoff. The race sets 10:45 a.m. at mile 14.5, a 15:30 per mile pace from the start.
Turn a goal time into splits with the marathon pace chart, or sanity-check the goal with the race time predictor.
Running Tobacco Road on March 14, 2027?
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Trail, spectators and race-day logistics
From the race's course, schedule and Boston qualifier pages.
- The trail: the race says it is not a single-track trail. It is more like a greenway and is wide enough to pass other runners throughout.
- Casual start: you may start any time between 7:00 and 7:15 a.m.; the cutoff times stay the same.
- Spectators: just south of Morrisville Parkway, at miles 15 and 23, supporters can see runners twice.
- Boston qualifiers: ring the bell beyond the finish line for a BQ or PR, and collect a special Boston Qualifying t-shirt.
- Time: seven hours for either distance; the course closes at 2:00 p.m.
Training for it: our intermediate marathon plans are the base the plan bridge above builds from. The 16-week beginner plan suits a first marathon, and the advanced plans suit runners chasing a qualifying time.
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Fair questions
What is the Tobacco Road Marathon course?
It starts and finishes at USA Baseball/Thomas Brooks Park in Cary. After about 2.5 miles on Morrisville Parkway, it runs 21 miles on the American Tobacco Trail: north to a turnaround at about mile 8.5, back to mile 14.5, south to a turnaround near Olive Chapel Road, and back to the park on paved roads.
What is the Tobacco Road Marathon elevation?
Its USA Track and Field certificate, NC24005BDS, puts the start and finish at 98 m above sea level, with the lowest point at 70 m and the highest at 117 m: a 47 m (about 154 ft) band.
Is the Tobacco Road Marathon a Boston qualifier?
Yes. The course is USATF certified (NC24005BDS), and the race says up to 20 percent of its runners qualify for Boston. Start and finish are level, so no downhill adjustment applies.
Is the Tobacco Road Marathon on a trail?
Mostly, but the race says it is not a single-track trail. The American Tobacco Trail is crushed granite and more like a greenway, wide enough to pass other runners, with paved roads at the start and finish.
What time does the Tobacco Road Marathon start?
7:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 14, 2027, with a casual start allowed until 7:15. The course closes at 2:00 p.m.
When should I start training for Tobacco Road?
Our marathon plans run 12, 16 or 20 weeks. For Sunday, March 14, 2027, a 16-week plan starts on Monday, November 23, 2026 and a 20-week plan on Monday, October 26, 2026. The plan bridge above dates the weeks for you.