Tobacco Road Marathon & Half Marathon

Sunday, March 16, 2025 • Cary, NC • Course Map

Runners follow a fast and flat route along the country roads of this North Carolina community just outside Raleigh at Cary’s annual running of the Allscripts Tobacco Road Marathon & Half Marathon, now a popular event that usually sells out well in advance each year.

The race follows an out-and-back course along both roads and highways as well as portions of the American Tobacco Trail, a rails-to-trails project that follows the former Norfolk Southern Railroad, which was built in the early 1900s to transport tobacco from Duncan to Durham from the farming communities in North Carolina’s Durham, Chatham and Wake counties.

Both the half and the full marathons in the event start and finish at the baseball field in Cary that serves as the USA Baseball National Training Complex, which has hosted a range of collegiate baseball events and as the home of the University of North Carolina’s Tar Heels baseball team.

From there, runners follow Green Level Church Road south to Green Level Road, which they follow for a little over a mile before turning onto the ATT (American Tobacco Trail).

Approximately the next seven miles of the half marathon unfolds along the trail, taking runners northward from the turnoff from Green Level Road all the way north past the intersections with New Hope Church Road and Pittar Sears Road to the turnaround point, which lies about 700 feet south of Okelly Chapel Road.

Then, runners turn around and head south along the trail, along the route they’ve just run, to the turn onto New Hope Church Road.

The last few miles of the race take runners along New Hope Church Road onto Yates Store Road and State Road 1600, all the way back to the finish line where the race started, at the baseball field just off Green Hope School Road.

The race’s first three and last three miles take place on paved roads, with the rest of the race on the natural surface trails along the American Tobacco Trail.

Race Weather & Climate

Located in the central part of the state, just over 10 miles west of Raleigh, the city of Cary typically experiences mild to moderately cool (and sometimes still quite cold) weather in the early spring season, with relatively steady precipitation throughout the year.

On race day (March 16), the average low is 39°F and the average high is 62°F — while snowfall is always possible, as Cary averages an inch of snow in March.

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the Tobacco Road Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

7:00 AM

Walker Friendly?

Yes, the half marathon is open to walkers and runners — the course time limit is 7 hours.

Fees

$70 and up for the half marathon
$75 and up for the full marathon

Registration

To reserve your spot in the 2025 running of Cary’s Tobacco Road Marathon or Half Marathon, register online at the race website here.

Official Race Website

www.tobaccoroadmarathon.com

Comments

Ever run in the Tobacco Road Half Marathon? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.

See more races in: March, North Carolina

1 comment… add one

Wayne Treadway November 22, 2021, 9:17 am

Is trail pea gravel (loose surface) or packed. Is surface faster or slower than asphalt?

Reply