PRs and BQs will be hard to come by on the challenging Ellerbe Springs Marathon course. The double loop course features lots of hills of varying sizes throughout the race.
The Ellerbe Marathon was the 493rd largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 447th largest in 2023.
This year 2.5% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 4.8% of runners qualified for Boston in 2024.
This gives the Ellerbe Marathon the 330th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 68th highest percentage so far in 2025.
Its Course Score of 96.42 ranks it as the 398th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 13th fastest course in North Carolina.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are within the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Ellerbe Marathon a PR Score of 96.42. This PR Score ranks it as the 367th fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 13th fastest in North Carolina.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Ellerbe Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 552 feet (168m) Min Elevation: 285 feet (86m)
I was not prepared for ALL those hills! But this is a super cool event with some of the best volunteers ever. The course was challenging but the intimate number of runners was fun because I kept seeing some of the same people on my second lap. Also, the best hot tomato soup at the end! Small in size but BIG on fun.
Race Tips
Do your hill workouts. Coming from the coast I trained on flat flat flat and paid for it on the hills. Don't worry about pacing (unless you are trying to BQ) and just enjoy the comradery and fresh country air.
