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PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONUS / RACE GUIDE

Badwater Cape Fear

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

USMar 20, 202751M · 50km

KudzuVine · Public domain

Race date in 158 days: Mar 20, 2027 Sat
City · Distance: Bald Head Island · 51M · 50km
Entry fee: $229Varies by event and entry period
Status: OpenTBD ~ Sat, March 13, 2027See how to enter ↗

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 13, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

This is the Badwater Cape Fear, held on Bald Head Island, North Carolina.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 1

1inspiredidiot

“The pattern of running and resting lent some normalcy to the end of the run.”

The runner raced Badwater Cape Fear 51 miles in a pirate costume, battling the incoming tide and deep sand. Alternating running and walking late on left enough for a final acceleration to finish ahead of a pursuer.

Read the original on 1 inspired idiot

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Badwater Final

BaldHeadIsland

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

Ultra

Entry cost $229

until Jan 30, 2027 · subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Registration platform RunSignup

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 51M

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 07:45

Event	Start	Time limit
50km50km	07:45	9h 0m
Ultra82.7km	07:45	14h 0m

not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet.

START

101 Light House Wynd, Bald Head Island, NC

Start · Google Maps

올드 볼디 등대에서 07:45에 출발해 볼드헤드 아일랜드 보존협회에서 끝나요. 섬까지는 페리로 가요.

The Badwater Cape Fear 50km and Badwater Cape Fear 51mi are held together.

Start line is located at 101 Light House Wynd, Bald Head Island, NC, with a local start time of 7:45 a.m.

Typical race-season temperature: around 13°C (56°F): Short sleeves or light long sleeves + arm warmers

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2026 edition

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startNo train/bus station — Bald Head Island has no motor vehicle access.
Getting to the finishNear Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, NC (mainland)

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

No train/bus station — Bald Head Island has no motor vehicle access. Runners take a passenger ferry from Southport, NC (0700 ferry, weather permitting) to the island

About a 5-minute walk from the ferry dock to the start line at Old Baldy Lighthouse. Date confirmed 2027-03-20 (13th running of Badwater Cape Fear).

Map

Getting to the finish

Near Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, NC (mainland)

Nearest city with any transit/rail is Wilmington, NC (~20+ miles away) — no public transit serves Fort Fisher directly.

Map

Start shuttle

Organizer provides a free shuttle from the ferry landing to the Bald Head Island Conservancy for check-in/social mixer; runners must independently book ferry tickets/travel from Southport.

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

Badwater Cape Fear starts in front of Old Baldy Lighthouse on Bald Head Island, North Carolina.

After roughly 12 miles on car-free island roads and coastal forest trails as a warm-up,

runners continue for another 19 or 39 miles along the remote sandy beaches between Cape Fear and Fort Fisher to finish.

There are two distances: 50km and 51 miles.

Entry fee entries are generally nonrefundable and nontransferable.

The only exception is a credit program available up to 60 days before the race, which rolls over 50% of Entry fee to entry in the following year's race.

Registration is handled through RunSignUp.

Times are local to Bald Head Island. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP