2027 Tobacco Road Marathon - Mar 14 Countdown

Q: When is the 2027 Tobacco Road Marathon and what time does it start?

The 2027 Tobacco Road Marathon is on Sunday, March 14, 2027, with both the full marathon and the half marathon starting at 7:00 a.m. ET. The out-and-back course starts and finishes at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

Q: How much elevation does the Tobacco Road Marathon course have?

Tobacco Road is flat. Because most of the race runs out-and-back on the American Tobacco Trail — a former railroad bed with gentle, steady grades — the course is essentially net-flat (about 0 ft net change), with roughly 220 m (722 ft) of total climbing spread evenly over the out and the back. The high point is only about 400 ft and the low about 256 ft, so there are no real hills and your finish time counts toward Boston qualifying with no downhill adjustment.

Q: What is the surface like on the American Tobacco Trail?

It is a mix. The first and last ~2.5 miles are paved road through neighborhoods near the start. The middle ~21 miles run on the American Tobacco Trail, a converted rail-trail greenway surfaced mostly with crushed, compacted granite screenings (fine gravel) rather than asphalt. It is firm and runnable, but it is not a pavement-only road course — trail or road shoes both work, and the shaded, tree-lined corridor is one of the race's signatures.

Q: What is the time limit for the Tobacco Road Marathon?

The official course time limit is 7 hours — the course closes at 2:00 p.m. and any runners still on the trail or roads at that time are picked up and brought to the finish. Seven hours works out to roughly a 16:01 per mile average pace. Plan your splits with our pace calculator to make sure you stay ahead of the cutoff.

Q: How do I register for the 2027 Tobacco Road Marathon?

Registration is handled online through the official race site and entries are priced in tiers that rise as the field fills — recent pricing opened around $90 and stepped up to roughly $100, $120 and $140 closer to race day, so registering early saves money. The marathon field is relatively small and has filled in past years, so sign up early. English-language online registration is straightforward for international runners.

Q: What is the weather like for the Tobacco Road Marathon?

Mid-March in Cary is typically cool and crisp — a race-morning low near 40°F (4°C) warming to a high around 64°F (18°C), with a mean near 52°F (11°C) and humidity around 71%. It is prime fast-running weather; dress for a chilly 7:00 a.m. start and shed layers once you warm up, though the trail's tree canopy keeps the temperature comfortable for most of the race.

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Race Information

Race	2027 Tobacco Road Marathon - Mar 14
City	Cary
Date	2027-03-14 at 07:00
Time Limit	7 hours
Cutoff pace	9:57/km
Timezone	America/New_York
Official Site	Sunrise Running Company
Registration	Register · 90 USD

Race Day Weather

Average Temperature	9.9°C / 50°F
Humidity	77%
Wind	12.9 km/h
Rain Chance	30%
Typical Conditions	Cool, often crisp mid-March North Carolina morning — prime PR and BQ weather

What to Prepare: Mid-March in Cary starts cool, with a typical race-morning low near 40°F / 4°C climbing to a high around 64°F / 18°C and a mean near 52°F / 11°C. A throwaway long-sleeve or gloves you can shed once you reach the shaded trail is smart; the 7:00 a.m. start can feel chilly, but the tree-lined greenway holds an even, comfortable temperature for most of the race.

Based on historical averages for race week. Use our Weather Score Calculator and What to Wear Guide for personalized advice.

Wind Impact on Race Day

Wind at 12.9 km/h can affect your marathon pace by 5-15 seconds per kilometer. Headwinds slow you down exponentially — a 20 km/h wind costs more than twice a 10 km/h wind.

Calculate your wind-adjusted pace →

Race-Week Climate

Based on 20 years of race-week weather (2005-2024), MERRA-2 reanalysis

	Cooler	Typical	Warmer
Temperature	3.7°C	9.5°C	16.7°C
Dew point	-2°C	5.3°C	13.4°C

Wet-day chance: 30% Runnability: 75/100

Data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), NASA Langley Research Center

Course Profile

Course Type	Out-and-back
Elevation Gain	220m
Terrain	Mixed surface — about 5 miles of paved road at the start and finish, with the central ~21 miles on the American Tobacco Trail's crushed-granite (compacted screenings) greenway
Profile	A flat, fast, USATF-certified course built for Boston qualifying and PRs. The marathon starts and finishes at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, runs about 2.5 miles of gently rolling paved neighborhood road, then spends the bulk of the race — roughly 21 miles — out-and-back on the American Tobacco Trail, a converted rail-trail greenway that runs straight through shaded pine forest. Because the trail follows an old railroad bed, its grades are gentle and steady: inclines are gradual, declines are smooth, and the tree canopy gives near-constant shade. As an out-and-back the course is net-flat (about 0 ft net change, with roughly 220 m / 722 ft of total climbing spread evenly over the two directions), so it sits far below Boston's 1,500-foot net-loss threshold and times count fully toward BQ with no downhill adjustment. That flat, forgiving profile plus cool early-spring weather makes Tobacco Road a perennial Boston-qualifier and PR destination — about 12.4% of marathon finishers qualified for Boston in 2026 (12.6% in 2025, 13.3% in 2024), and the race has historically run closer to 18%. USATF-certified.
Boston Qualifier	Yes — Check your BQ time

Prepare for 2027 Tobacco Road Marathon - Mar 14

Use our free training tools to get race-ready:

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Frequently Asked Questions

When is the 2027 Tobacco Road Marathon and what time does it start?

The 2027 Tobacco Road Marathon is on Sunday, March 14, 2027, with both the full marathon and the half marathon starting at 7:00 a.m. ET. The out-and-back course starts and finishes at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

How much elevation does the Tobacco Road Marathon course have?

Tobacco Road is flat. Because most of the race runs out-and-back on the American Tobacco Trail — a former railroad bed with gentle, steady grades — the course is essentially net-flat (about 0 ft net change), with roughly 220 m (722 ft) of total climbing spread evenly over the out and the back. The high point is only about 400 ft and the low about 256 ft, so there are no real hills and your finish time counts toward Boston qualifying with no downhill adjustment.

Is the Tobacco Road Marathon a good Boston qualifier?

Yes — Tobacco Road is one of the more popular Boston-qualifying marathons in the Southeast and regularly appears on "best BQ course" lists. It is USATF-certified and a Boston Marathon qualifier, and its flat profile plus cool March weather help runners run fast. About 12.4% of finishers qualified for Boston in 2026 (12.6% in 2025, 13.3% in 2024), and the race has historically run closer to 18%. Check your target with our Boston qualifying calculator.

What is the surface like on the American Tobacco Trail?

It is a mix. The first and last ~2.5 miles are paved road through neighborhoods near the start. The middle ~21 miles run on the American Tobacco Trail, a converted rail-trail greenway surfaced mostly with crushed, compacted granite screenings (fine gravel) rather than asphalt. It is firm and runnable, but it is not a pavement-only road course — trail or road shoes both work, and the shaded, tree-lined corridor is one of the race's signatures.

What is the time limit for the Tobacco Road Marathon?

The official course time limit is 7 hours — the course closes at 2:00 p.m. and any runners still on the trail or roads at that time are picked up and brought to the finish. Seven hours works out to roughly a 16:01 per mile average pace. Plan your splits with our pace calculator to make sure you stay ahead of the cutoff.

How do I register for the 2027 Tobacco Road Marathon?

Registration is handled online through the official race site and entries are priced in tiers that rise as the field fills — recent pricing opened around $90 and stepped up to roughly $100, $120 and $140 closer to race day, so registering early saves money. The marathon field is relatively small and has filled in past years, so sign up early. English-language online registration is straightforward for international runners.

What is the weather like for the Tobacco Road Marathon?

Mid-March in Cary is typically cool and crisp — a race-morning low near 40°F (4°C) warming to a high around 64°F (18°C), with a mean near 52°F (11°C) and humidity around 71%. It is prime fast-running weather; dress for a chilly 7:00 a.m. start and shed layers once you warm up, though the trail's tree canopy keeps the temperature comfortable for most of the race.