- Weather
- 59°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~400 runners
- Course
- Flat
- Elevation
- 50 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event: Emerald Isle Marathon
PR9Weather8Experience6
Mid-October · Southeast · Multi-Loop
Cape Fear Marathon & Half, presented by Mount to Coast and hosted by Badwater®
Bald Head Island, NC · Sunday, October 18, 2026
Event: Cape Fear Marathon
- Best for PR
- Boston Qualifier
Registration opens on the organizer's site
Typical start
60°
Cooler than 7% of U.S. marathons
Modeled historical conditions
Elevation gain
100ft
Flatter than 77% of races
Estimated total climb
Field size
400
Larger than 4% of races
Estimated field
PR potential
8.7/10
Ahead of 47% of races
Almanac model
Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.
Course profile
100 ft gain · 0 ft net
Flat course, multi-loop.
0510152026.2
Race-day weather
Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.
6 AM
52°
Start
60°
Midday
71°
ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk
Typical start sits at 60°F, warm for racing.
Typical dew point 53°F, 22% chance of precipitation, wind around 7 mph. All modeled.
The bottom line
A quietly fast race that does not ask for much beyond honest pacing.
Cape Fear Marathon & Half, presented by Mount to Coast and hosted by Badwater® is a strong choice for a PR attempt, and Bald Head Island offers very little meaningful elevation. The tradeoff is atmosphere: expect long quiet stretches and few spectators.
Why runners choose this race
A loop course around Bald Head Island, NC, with very little meaningful elevation change.
The case for it
- PR attempts
- Boston qualification
- Runners who want a low-key start
The tradeoffs
- You want crowds and on-course energy
Course and logistics
- Course type
- Multi-Loop
- Surface
- Road
- Profile
- Flat
- Total gain
- 100 ft(estimated)
- Total loss
- 100 ft(estimated)
- Net elevation
- 0 ft(estimated)
- Field size
- ~400 runners(estimated)
- Crowd support
- Quiet, low-key
- Entry
- Moderate
- Entry fee
- $169(most recent listed price)
- Day of week
- Sunday
- Start / finish
- Start and finish in the same area
Race details
- Typical timing
- Mid-October
- Next confirmed date
- Sunday, October 18, 2026
- Registration
- Open now
- Region
- Southeast
- Editorial tier
- Recommended
- Data last reviewed
- 2026-08-26
- Best for PR
- Boston Qualifier
- Loop course
- Flat course
Similar races
Races with a comparable profile.
- Weather
- 59°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~2,000 runners
- Course
- Flat
- Elevation
- 100 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event listed as: Marathon
PR9Weather8Experience7
- Weather
- 58°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~400 runners
- Course
- Flat
- Elevation
- 40 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event: Marathon Runners
PR9Weather8Experience6