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PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONUS / RACE GUIDE

Cape Fear Marathon & Half, presented by Mount to Coast and hosted by Badwater®

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Bald Head Island
US

KudzuVine · Public domainGareth Rasberry · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsEcburgee · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Race date today: Oct 18, 2026 Sun
City · Distance: Bald Head Island · 42.195km · 21.1km
Entry fee: $179Varies by event and entry period
Status: ClosedTBD ~ Tue, October 13, 2026See how to enter ↗

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 18, 2026

About the race 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.

Organized by AdventureCORPS, which also runs the Badwater Ultramarathon.

Held on Bald Head Island, North Carolina, with events including the full marathon and half marathon.

It's also the setting for Badwater Cape Fear, now in its 14th year on the same island.

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.

No runner reports yet. We'll add them here as they come in.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

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

Full recap

Dr. Grant Bishop, PT, DPT - Golf and Running PT · Full recap

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.

Next edition entry

Entry dates for the next edition haven't been announced yet

Marathon

Entry cost $179

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Half

Entry cost $179

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 42.195km

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

Runners start · local timeFrom 10:00

Time limit7 hours

Full marathon 7 hours, half marathon 4 hours

Event	Start	Time limit
Marathon42.195km	10:00	7h
Half21.0975km	10:00	4h

not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet.

START · FINISH

101 Light House Wynd, Bald Head Island, NC

Start · Google Maps

Run along the car-free island's one-lane roads and Cape Fear Beach. The start is at Old Baldy Lighthouse and the finish at the marina end of the wetland boardwalk.

The Cape Fear Marathon and Cape Fear Half Marathon events will be held together.

Start line will be located at 101 Light House Wynd, Bald Head Island, NC, and the local start time is 10:00 a.m.

Typical race-season temperature: around 20°C (68°F): Short sleeves — hydrate for the warmth
Aid stations: Water at 3 locations: near the start/finish, the BHI Conservancy, and the beach access

Participant benefits

Aid stations

Finisher medal

To the start line,
step by step.

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

From the 2025 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

The Cape Fear Marathon on Bald Head Island (organized by Badwater).
Packet pickup details have not been published.
As this is an island race, ferry travel is required.

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startSouthport ferry terminal (Deep Point Marina) → passenger ferry to Bald Head Island
Getting to the finishBald Head Island Marina (finish-line party at Jules' Salty Grub)

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Southport ferry terminal (Deep Point Marina) → passenger ferry to Bald Head Island

Race is entirely on car-free Bald Head Island. Ferries depart Southport for Bald Head Island at 0600, 0700, 0800, 0900 race day for the 10:00am start.

Book via BaldHeadIslandFerry.com. On arrival, tell ferry staff you need a tram to the BHI Conservancy, then take the free island shuttle to the start near Old Baldy Lighthouse.

Bald Head Island / Southport, NC are under an hour from Wilmington, NC (ILM) airport. Runners must plan ferry timing carefully.

No date conflict — confirmed Sun Oct 18 2026. You have to book your own ferry to the island.

Map

Getting to the finish

Bald Head Island Marina (finish-line party at Jules' Salty Grub)

After finishing, runners take the free island tram/shuttle back to the ferry landing for the return ferry to Southport (own arrangement/ticket).

Map

Start shuttle

Free on-island tram/shuttle from ferry landing to start/finish areas; the Southport-Bald Head Island ferry itself is a paid, self-booked passenger ferry, not a race shuttle.

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.

The entire race takes place on car-free Bald Head Island and includes narrow single-lane roads and some beach sections.

The island can only be reached by ferry, so participants must book a ferry separately from Deep Point Marina in Southport.

Boarding passes can be purchased online in advance or on site.

Time limit is 7 hours for full marathon and 4 hours for half marathon,

while start line is set up in front of Old Baldy, the oldest lighthouse in North Carolina.

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

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Seeing Bald Head Island with the medal on

View all →

The city you ran — this time, a little slower.

Wilmington: 2-Hour Waterfront Yacht Tour

$95

View on GetYourGuide

Hotels that make race morning easyDistances are straight-line from the start.View on map Eating well is part of the tripA meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.View on map

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

Checklist Local eSIM · Trip.com Flight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelp Pace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Bald Head Island runners' room

FAQ

When does Cape Fear Marathon & Half, presented by Mount to Coast and hosted by Badwater® 2026 take place?

It takes place on Sun, October 18, 2026 in Bald Head Island, NC, United States.

How much is the Cape Fear Marathon & Half, presented by Mount to Coast and hosted by Badwater® 2026 entry fee?

The main event costs $179.

What is the time limit for Cape Fear Marathon & Half, presented by Mount to Coast and hosted by Badwater® 2026?

Full marathon 7 hours, half marathon 4 hours.

What distances does Cape Fear Marathon & Half, presented by Mount to Coast and hosted by Badwater® 2026 offer?

Marathon · Half.

What time does Cape Fear Marathon & Half, presented by Mount to Coast and hosted by Badwater® 2026 start?

The race starts at 10:00.

Where does Cape Fear Marathon & Half, presented by Mount to Coast and hosted by Badwater® 2026 start?

101 Light House Wynd, Bald Head Island, NC.

What is the Cape Fear Marathon & Half, presented by Mount to Coast and hosted by Badwater® 2026 course like?

The Cape Fear Marathon and Cape Fear Half Marathon events will be held together.

Start line will be located at 101 Light House Wynd, Bald Head Island, NC, and the local start time is 10:00 a.m.

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