Real runner feedback on course feel, crowd support, aid stations, and logistics (parking, hotels, restaurants).
Good race in my town that needs to be promoted
Enjoy and set your PR
I loved everything about the marathon. Great course, great people, great support. By far glad that I was able to run the Marathon.
Train (obviously), but also practice your fueling strategy, fuel early in the race so that your body can better adapt once you get to the later miles (miles 22 onwards).
It may be worth it to get a parking pass. I took the shuttle, and it ended up being a long wait until the race (which was fine for me, it gave me ample time to warm up), but it may not be the best for everyone.
I loved my experience running the Tobacco Road Marathon. The race is well organized and easy to follow. Pacer groups made a huge difference on my performance!!! The pacers were all so kind and encouraging. It is a more quiet marathon but it was easy for my friends and family to be spectators as the locations for them to be able to go to spectate were easy to follow. Plenty of aid stations and volunteers. I appreciated the course and how the last mile was straight downhill.
Overall, I loved my experience and will be running again next year!
Stick with a pacer group if possible! They offer a wide variety of pacer groups for half and full marathon. I am a pretty slow runner and my only goal was a sub 5 hour marathon, and I ran with the 4:50 pacer group until the last 6 miles. Because I conserved my energy running with the pacer group, I was able to strongly negative split and have my last 6 miles be my fastest miles of the race. This was huge in my performance and I was able to crush by sub 5 hour goal and still feel good when I crossed the finish line!
I run this race, either the full or half, every year. Extremely well run and the proceeds go to some great charities. I find the course enjoyable, the majority of it is through the woods. Some may find it boring but I find it peaceful and rejuvenating.
I love this race and look forward to it every year. It is consistently well done and has a mostly flat course. The meDal is always fantastic.
I like to pack things like hand sanitizer and biofreeze. You won't have access to these on the course.
Sign up early and get a parking pass. It is money well spent.
I love the Tobacco Road Marathon!
I have run the full four times (and qualified for Boston three of them), have run it and dropped out at 22 as a training run for Boston multiple other times, and have run the half several times. The American Tobacco Trail, on which most of the course is run, is calm and beautiful, with a mix of paved and crushed gravel surfaces. The aid stations are well supported, with a range of beverages (including pickle juice at one of them!) and energy boosts (gels, waffles, bananas, oranges, etc.). The t-shirt and medal are consistently beautiful, with creative variations on the standard theme from year to year. Best of all, the race director really knows runners. As a runner himself, Kaz knows what runners want and need in order to have a good experience - and is constantly seeking feedback. Over the past sixteen years, the race has contributed over two million dollars to charity - an added bonus and a wonderful way for the running community to give back.
I strongly recommend this marathon for anyone seeking a reliable, pretty, big enough but not crowded, spring race that is well supported and typically has beautiful weather!
While the course is relatively flat, some parts of the trail have a very slight uphill grade. Run the course by feel rather than trying to maintain a consistent pace.
Pay an extra few bucks for the onsite parking pass. It is well worth it!
The course is great in particular if you like off road racing but not a trail. Hills are just enough to make it difficult for the “middle of the pack” runner. The aid stations are well staffed with ample nutrition. The time of year usually allows for favorable climate conditions. It’s a great race for someone seeking to qualify for Boston Marathon.
Be mindful of the turn around points. Three stretches of the course repeat itself which could pose a mental drag
The parking is ample with a shuttle service. If you are considering VIP parking spaces are limited so sign up early. Parking with the shuttle is free and shuttles run until the race officially closes.
I participated the American Tobacco Road Marathon for the first time because I wanted to run a marathon every one or two years to gauge my fitness and endurance level, and this is the easiest race to get to where I live after moving from California to North Carolina. I literally jogged to the start line from home on the race day. The course is so familiar since ATT has been my primary training trail. It’s literally a world class course where many elite runners come and train. The race is not huge but still draws a sizable crowd of runners and people living along ATT come to cheer for us with so much energy and passion. I got a new PR running on the flat and straight and shaded course on a perfect day for running a marathon. The volunteers and pacers were awesome. The post race party was fun. I will sign up for the next year aiming for a BQ time. So lucky to have a Boston Qualifier marathon race on such a world class running trail so close to my house!
Weather was perfect this year but not last year when it rained. So good luck! Otherwise it’s almost a perfect race for someone aiming at a fast finish time!
Very balanced and rolling elevation, soft crushed granite surface for almost 20 miles! Generous on the joints. I love the founder and race director- Kazem. He is there to cheer on every single runner. His vision , dedication, and execution of this worthy event for the whole humanity is commendable. This is my 9th time coming to run it because this run carries one of the noblest of causes. I first BQ here in 2017 and BQ on all of my runs here.
You get what you put in, with some great PR opportunities. For experienced runners, pretty predictable. Manage your running economy because the rolling hills continue until mile 24. Having said that, You can let go (fly) on the last 0.7 miles downhill!
Great host hotel selection, they gave us discount and late checkout, beautiful Cary suburb , clean environment, free parking, complimentary water! You will enjoy that warm shower after your race. Plan parking ahead of time. Convenient limited parking available feet from start line. Shuttle is there for off site lots. Drop off easy. I saw Kazem directing traffic at 5:30AM! He is one of a kind. A lot of great highways lead to Cary. RDU is within minutes.
Awesome volunteers and spectator encouragement who were there for the entire race.
Traffic before the race needs to be improved - VERY slow. Route is advertised as flat and fast - totally untrue on the flat part, rolling hills Throughout with a 6 mile net uphill finish, LOT of walking on this portion of the race.
I would recommend doing several practice runs on the trail portion to get an idea of hills and elevation changes and to also get acclimated to the unpaved portion of the trail, which is about half of the route.
Parking is not great, there are lots of runners and spectators squeezed into a small area and lots of buses that transfer folks from a remote site that is about 3 miles away but with traffic takes close to 45 minutes minimum for the morning commute to the race.
This race is very well organized ?? from emails that are sent timely, clearly explaining every aspect of the race to follow up emails after the race. It is simply amazing how well the team works together to make this race an unforgettable experience year after year!
Right from the CEO Mr. Yazem Yahyapour who communicates with registrants by email a week or so before the race to actually showing up on race day to personally congratulate each and every runner who crosses the finish line ? to hundreds of volunteers who make this event so flawless, seamless and fun and the public - total strangers - who standby and cheer/motivate/encourage - it is a beautiful experience! There are water/gatorade/gel stations every 2 miles as well as portable potties - very well thought of and such a relief!
What is there not to like about this annual race with such a huge turnout and that works like clockwork precision!! We are fortunate to have the opportunity in this area to be able to participate in this event and witness a well orchestrated event come alive with such energy, synergy, collaboration and synchronization.
Thank you very much, Tobacco Road Marathon team, for all that you do to enrich our enjoyment and experience. Thank you for your support to other nonprofits and your contribution in maintaining such a beautiful trail that spans Apex, Cary, Morrisville and Durham! Thank you for an exemplary job!
Read all the email communications that you get. It is so self-explanatory, clear, concise and accurate. So much so, on the day of the race there will be no surprises as everything will happen just like the way it is laid out in all emails. Great job in guiding the participants and preparing them for the race day!
I really like the course and the support. It reminds me of a long version of the Monument Avenue races in Richmond, VA - straight, fast and flat. It's shady, there's fantastic aid stations, and it's easy to get to.
I ran it the weekend after the time change, so the few bits I didn't like were pretty much bad luck of the calendar. We launched in the dark, and the suggestion to get there early was a little rough (can't really do too much in a dark parking lot).
The course is flat and straight. It is paved, but not as nicely as a road. It's tree lined, lots of shade. I ran in sunglasses and wouldn't do that next time. Lots of support, there were long aid stations probably every two miles handing out Gatorade, water, Gu, pickle juice, etc.
I didn't see too many portable toilets. People peed in the woods.
There was no 4 hour pace group if that matters to you.
Be prepared to wait around before the race. They suggest getting there no later than 5:30 for a 7:00 gun time because they use shuttles to get people from remote parking lots (onsite parking is very limited). I found that to be a little long, ESPECIALLY because of the time change shifting daylight around. I wasn't going to risk turning an ankle by warming up in the dark. In the future I'd catch one of the later shuttles and dress to spend an extended period sitting around.
I ran this race for the 4th time yesterday. While I didn't get the time I wanted I still had a great experience. I would recommend this as a good first marathon for someone. Except for the first & last 2 1/2 miles it is mostly flat. There are a couple of times on the course where you have to climb small hills, but they are not that bad at all.
They run a half & full on the same day. If you do the full when you start or not long after get to the right side to the pack of runners. When you get to the trail (about 2.5 miles in) the full people turn right & half go left. Do not make the mistake of trying to make a right turn from the left side of the crowd, You will get run over.
If you want to park at the venue get a parking pass super early because they sell out very fast. If you get dropped off do so as early as you can on the day of the race. Traffic can be a nightmare. There is a tent that provides shelter & if cold they warm it up.
This race is large enough to provide competition but small enough to be no-hassle. The Race Directors are local philanthropists who donate proceeds to charity. There are military categories in addition to age group awards; and cool T-shirts for Boston qualifiers. The course is basically flat. The first 2.5 miles have a slight decline, and returning on the same roads, it is slightly uphill. The Tobacco Trail is basically flat. Avoid monotony by joining one of the carefully selected, excellent pace groups who know exactly how to navigate the course. The half-marathon course is mostly on pavement. The full marathon has some hard-packed dirt trails. There are no rocks or roots. Water, Gatorade and gels are provided at each of the road crossings. There is a warming tent for before the race, and a party with beer and band after the race.
There are only 2 pace clocks on the course at 13.1 and almost 20 miles, so a good sports watch is essential for keeping pace.
Don't kill yourself on the first 2 miles. You will be able to make up time once you are on the trail.
Register early and get a parking pass, since off-site shuttle buses might be confusing if coming from out of town.
Ran the full. Weather was perfect. Course is nice and shaded. I thought it would be more packed on the tight trail but I did not think it was that bad. Long Beach was worse on the back half with congestion vs this one. I feel like there should have been a little more water and nutrients on the front half. Also sucks to have to get up so early to catch the shuttle if you are driving in. Ample pizzas AMCS and bottomless beers at the end!
Front half seemed mostly slight downhill. Did not get tired really until mike 20 which is when you are on a long gradual uphill. Last two are pretty much downhill. You can probably go easier on the front half even though you will want to go fast because of the slight downhill on a large portions.
Maybe an uber ride would allow you to sleep in some.
Race was perfectly run. Started precisely at 7 am.
To me this race was an ideal way to spend the last morning of winter. i would recommend it to anyone within 2-3h of the race. Also, if you are trying to podium in your age group, it is a good race because most of the fastest runners are prepping for Boston in April so the top 3 times are a bit slower (if that matters to you- it didn't to me). Its a fantastic local race that I would recommend to anyone.
The shirt was nice. simple design, good color scheme. not doing too much. I'm not an expo person so I can't comment about it either way.
On to the course. The description of "flat" is not really accurate. If you want truly flat in NC, you are better looking at the coastal races (emerald Isle and outer banks come to mind, though they have occasional bridge climbs which are steeper and longer than any ascent on this course). However, given this is a rail to trail course, the grade of the climbs/descents is 99.9% very gentle. I actually prefer this type of course because i tend to make up more time than I lose with gentle elevation changes like the ones here and it gives my muscle groups some variability so I don't stiffen up as much.
The hardest part for me was miles 21-24 (duh!) which are a gentle but long ascent right when most runners are hitting the wall, followed by the steepest ascents on the course over the last 2 miles of rollers (mind you they are not that steep when you look at them BEFORE you hit mile 24 and I hardly noticed them during the first 2 miles of the race on the way out)
I have seen comments about the gravel being an issue for some. There were no dust problems and the packing of the gravel was really good. I train almost exclusively on sidewalks/roads and did not perceive problems with footing/slippage. I was running for a boston qualifying time so I was not in a group/pack during the race so can't comment about how that would be (it could be an issue as there are water runoff ruts all along the course that you might have to run in if you don't have the lateral mobility and forward visibility to stay out of them as you go)
I ran with a fuel belt so was not as reliant on the aid stations prior to mile 12, so can't say much about those other than to say there were a lot of people to help pass out fluids and gels. No bananas or oranges at aid stations on course, but logistically I understand why.
Course is tree covered except for the first and last 2 miles. leaves aren't up yet but plenty of shade anyway in case the day is hot (it wasn't for us).
Going in I was worried about the parking and shuttles because I registered too late to get a pass to the start site lot. The race site recommended arriving to shuttle area before 515 am! However, after speaking with the information attendant at the expo, this was mostly to ensure people who wanted pics, etc had time to linger before race start. I arrived at shuttle parking at 6:10, got on bus at 6:15 and was at start by 6:30. There were about 10 full sized buses waiting in cue at 6:10 to take people to the site and not nearly enough people to fill more than 2 of them so no worries about getting there on time! I think there were about 1000 portajohns (exaggeration but there were a LOT) at the start site and there were actually 2 portajohns that nobody knew about or was using when I walked by them at the back of the shuttle parking lot at 6:10 am (warning that these may not be permanent for future years). Don't panic if you don't get a start site parking pass. They really managed the shuttle situation beautifully.
I stayed at the courtyard marriot 1.3 miles from the parking/shuttle site. If you want to take a run on the marathon course prior to race day, this may not be an ideal hotel because it is a 15 minute + drive to get to the course. But it was perfect for me as it was close to the shuttle in the am which was my priority.
This marathon was very well organized. Every detail was taken care of by the race staff. The course was very flat and beautiful. Great for new marathoners!
Majority of the course was on the tobacco trail. Definitely practice running on that surface ahead of time if possible
We stayed at the Homewood Suites and had a great experience. Huge room and very clean.
A dream course for fast runners, well organized with full safety in mind.
Arrive early and if you slow down on the course move to your far right ;-)
This race primarily takes place on a rail trail, and the starting area doesn’t have enough parking to support all runners. The expectation is that most competitors show up two hours early (5 am) to take a 20 minute shuttle to the starting area. This then leaves you waiting outside in the cold for about an hour and a half before the race starts. It's freezing and miserable, and it is not how you want to feel before the race.
The rest of the race isn't great either. No crowd support, and there’s an out and back element which might leave you weaving through packs going the other way.
Post-race is pretty decent but no different from other races at the same price point. I'd recommend finding a race that lets you be in your car or indoors before the race.
Dress warm and get a parking pass before it sells out
Out of 4 marathons, this has been my best race so far ! The weather is always perfect for running your best time: 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit. If you stick to your pacing strategy you’ll do great ! It is there and back, flat and fast ! Some very small gradual inclines, but no hills at all ! I forgot my watch at the hotel, even devastated, I still was able to PR by 19 minutes and 1st time qualify for Boston ! I definitely recommend, they give proceeds to the American Red Cross and many more ! Help to raise more charities ! The director of the race is great ! And Jeff Galloway (1972 US Olympian) recommends the race as well ! Come to Cary, run smart in the first 10k & you will run your best race in the last 10k !
Get to starting line early. There is Plenty of space to warm up before the race near the start line. Take first 10k slower than race pace, slowly increase to race pace and run below race pace for the last 10k. Even splits are great as well to help avoid hitting the wall !
Embassy suites hotel is expensive but gives TBM discounts for those running the race. I encourage to eat big lunch the day before the race, light to no dinner, usually breakfast 3 hours before the race, order pizza and wings day after the race !
Excellent route, with gentle rolling hills. Two turn around points and mostly straight (6 Turns I believe). Volunteers were great, plenty to have at aid stations. Expo is well attended and organized. Many vendors and goodies to have.
Since it does not have many hills, and the ones are mostly rolling hills be very careful during the first few miles, since you might feel the need to go out faster than you should.
Using the buses is a no brainer. They will come and go very frequently, no reason to stress out about it. Which is great.
First off, this is a very good marathon, and one I'd recommend to someone running a race for the first time. That being said, if you are trying to BQ (and you are within about 5 minutes of that timeframe) pick a flatter course with less congestion. The second half of this course will be clogged with half marathoners. They ask the full marathoners to "take a right" about 2 and half miles into the course, and the half marathoners to take a left. When the chips are down, and you're struggling to finish on the last 3 miles, the last thing you want is a swarm of runners that congest the already narrow pathway of this marathon. It does make it more difficult.
If you're going to run this race, train to do hills, and get really good at "feeling" out your pace. Why? Because your GPS watch is going to be off by about 40 seconds. The tree cover is so HIGH that it blocks out the GPS signal, distorting your pace. You'll be running along looking at your watch, and it'll say 7:25 pace, then you'll click off a 6:40. Yes, the difference is THAT big. This is why I don't recommend this marathon for beginners.
Transit to this race is difficult. Most, if not all, hotels are a very sizeable distance away. And since you have to be at the race pretty early, it's almost necessary to have someone drop you off (which I recommend). There is a bus shuttle that takes you from a parking lot, but again, please have someone go with you.
The course is not even close to being flat as advertised and the lack of pavement makes it even slower.
A fast but boring course. Run with a pacer or friend.
There are not many clocks on the course, so a pace group or group of friends your speed is helpful.
Carpool
Well run, with general cool early season weather and most of the course is save the first and last 3 miles is shaded and protected from winds. Doesn't have the crowd support like some bigger races, but this is a logistically easy and inexpensive BQ race. If you want a Boston BQ or need an early season fitness test, this is your spot.
First two miles are rolling hills then mostly flat/downhill to the American Tobacco Trail. The old RR base makes for a constant false flat up/down so settle into you pace and you will be rewarded with some intervals. The later part of the race is a little more downhill so the last 4 miles on the trail and the return to finish are a bit harder to hang onto. The last mile has a decent hill followed by a fast downhill into the park with a one last uphill to the finish so watch for cramps as you empty the tank to the line.
Lots of close local hotels. Buy the parking pass and you can sit in your car almost to the gun. Lots of post race refreshments, nice swag and a beer garden.
Loved it. Great race.
Loved the organization from packet pickup to after race party. Flattest marathon course!
Stay close to the pacers if want to PR. Drink water at every station!
The earlier you arrive the better! Get the parking pass!!