- Weather
- 59°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~2,000 runners
- Course
- Flat
- Elevation
- 100 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event listed as: Marathon
PR9Weather8Experience7
Late October · Southeast · Out-and-Back
Emerald Isle Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K
Emerald Isle, NC · Saturday, October 24, 2026
Event: Emerald Isle Marathon
- Best for PR
- Boston Qualifier
Registration opens on the organizer's site
Typical start
59°
Cooler than 9% of U.S. marathons
Modeled historical conditions
Elevation gain
50ft
Flatter than 89% of races
Estimated total climb
Field size
400
Larger than 4% of races
Estimated field
PR potential
8.8/10
Ahead of 50% of races
Almanac model
Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.
Course profile
50 ft gain · 0 ft net
Flat course, out-and-back.
0510152026.2
Race-day weather
Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.
6 AM
51°
Start
59°
Midday
69°
ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk
Typical start sits at 59°F, warm for racing.
Typical dew point 52°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.
Emerald Isle Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K is a strong choice for a PR attempt, and Emerald Isle offers very little meaningful elevation. The tradeoff is atmosphere: expect long quiet stretches and few spectators.
Why runners choose this race
A out-and-back course around Emerald Isle, 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
- Out-and-Back
- Surface
- Road
- Profile
- Flat
- Total gain
- 50 ft(estimated)
- Total loss
- 50 ft(estimated)
- Net elevation
- 0 ft(estimated)
- Field size
- ~400 runners(estimated)
- Crowd support
- Quiet, low-key
- Entry
- Easy
- Entry fee
- $100(most recent listed price)
- Day of week
- Saturday
- Start / finish
- Start and finish in the same area
Race details
- Typical timing
- Late October
- Next confirmed date
- Saturday, October 24, 2026
- Registration
- Open now
- Region
- Southeast
- Editorial tier
- Recommended
- Data last reviewed
- 2026-08-26
- Best for PR
- Boston Qualifier
- Out-and-back
- Flat course
- Easy entry
Similar races
Races with a comparable profile.
- Weather
- 58°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~400 runners
- Course
- Flat
- Elevation
- 40 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event: Marathon Runners
PR9Weather8Experience6
Mid-October · Southeast
Cape Fear Marathon & Half, presented by Mount to Coast and hosted by Badwater®
Bald Head Island, NC
- Weather
- 60°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~400 runners
- Course
- Flat
- Elevation
- 100 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event: Cape Fear Marathon
PR9Weather8Experience6