The Race
| Next Race Date | 4 April 2027 |
|---|---|
| Course Type | Loop (start and finish on Water Street) |
| Registration | Open entry, no qualifying time. Online via RunSignup; price rises in four bands from $130 to $175 |
| Ballot Opens | Not applicable (open entry) |
| Total Finishers | ~485 |
| Average Race Day Temperature | 9.7 to 21.6°C (April daily low to high) |
| Cutoff Time | 7 hours (gun time; minimum pace 16 minutes per mile, about 9:57 per km) |
| Free Race Day Transport | Partial: free overflow-lot shuttle only, mornings 06:00 to 07:10 |
| Course Certification | USATF measured; certification for the next route is being finalised |
History
The Coast Guard Marathon began as a virtual race in 2021, when pandemic restrictions kept runners off the streets of Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The first in-person weekend followed in March 2022. The U.S. Coast Guard manages the event with support from the city, and civilians run alongside service members.
The calendar has moved. Early weekends ran in March, the 2024 weekend ran 5 to 7 April, the 2025 race went back to 9 March, and the latest weekends sit in April. Runners booking travel should confirm the month before buying anything non-refundable.
The marathon field stays small. In 2025 there were 485 finishers, with Benjamin Burtram winning in 2:36:44 and Jillian Rosenblum taking the women's race in 3:12:10. The whole weekend draws far more people. The 2025 weekend drew nearly 2,500 in-person runners from all 50 states and 15 countries, plus more than 6,500 visitors to the expo and festival. Those totals include the half marathon and the shorter races, so they say little about the marathon itself.
The base has shaped the course. Earlier routes took runners through Coast Guard property, and the 2025 course included the base runway. The 2026 course stayed off the base because of security measures, and D. Germain won that year in 2:38:29, with Lorel Golden leading the women. The next edition again promises an airship hangar at the midpoint while saying that base access depends on approval.
Commemoration is part of the weekend. In 2026 a Memorial Mile honoured 154 service members who had died in operational service since 1972, and Run to Remember participants carried the names of people they were honouring. The Armed Forces Series Challenge links the race to shorter events run by other branches of the services.
The course
The Coast Guard Marathon starts and finishes on South Water Street in downtown Elizabeth City, beside the Museum of the Albemarle, 3 m above sea level, and the two lines sit within 13 m of each other. The 2026 course runs south-east on Wareham Street and Rivershore Road at km 1 to 4, then along River Road and Weeksville Road through Old Weeksville to km 9, and west of the river on Consolidated Road and Davis Bay Road at km 10 to 14. Small Drive carries it from km 15 to its furthest point, 12.0 km from the start in a straight line, at km 18.6 close to the Second World War airship hangar at the Coast Guard air station. The return loops around TCOM Drive, Beverley Drive and William Drive at km 21 to 27, then follows Chances Lane, Bayside Drive and Consolidated Road at km 29 to 34 and Weeksville Road past Elizabeth City State University at km 35 to 39 before Herrington Road, South McMorrine Street and the finish on Water Street.
The terrain is flat. The profile spans 12 m, from 1 m to 13 m above sea level, with no sustained climb or descent of 15 m or more, and almost all of it sits between 2 m and 5 m. Isolated rises of 6 m to 9 m at km 3, 16, 19 and 24 last about a kilometre each. No official elevation-gain figure is published. Mile markers are painted yellow on the road, and the measurement follows the shortest possible route.
Access to the Coast Guard base depends on security approval, and the route is re-measured whenever it changes, so check the approved map before planning pacing around specific turns.
Kilometre by kilometre
Km 0 to 14: out along the river. The start is on South Water Street beside the Museum of the Albemarle. The full and half marathons start together at 07:30, there are no corrals or waves, and runners line up by the pace signs. The course leaves downtown by Wareham Street and Rivershore Road, passes Old Weeksville on Weeksville Road at km 7 to 9 and turns onto Consolidated Road and Davis Bay Road, all between 2 m and 9 m. Open ground beside a wide river picks up the wind, so check its direction the night before: a headwind outbound is a tailwind home, and the reverse. Aid arrives roughly every 3.2 km, and the first of two gel stops falls at around 14 km.
Km 14 to 29: Small Drive and the hangar. Small Drive runs from km 15 to the furthest point at km 18.6, close to the airship hangar at the Coast Guard air station, and the course then loops through Broomfield Trail, TCOM Drive, Beverley Drive and William Drive. Whether the route crosses base ground depends on security approval, and where base roads are used only runners with a visible bib are admitted, so keep the bib on the front of the outer layer. This is the section most likely to change between editions, so read the approved map. Published split points sit at 5 km, 20 km, the half-way mark, and around 24 km and 37 km.
Km 29 to 40: back through town. Chances Lane, Bayside Drive and Consolidated Road return the course to Weeksville Road at km 35, and it runs back through Elizabeth City, passing Elizabeth City State University near km 39. The exposure shows in the second half: there is little shade, and April daytime highs average 21.6°C. Take fluid at every station after halfway, take the second gel at around 36 km, and resist banking time early. Follow cones and marshals.
Km 40 to 42.2: Water Street. Herrington Road at km 40 and South McMorrine Street at km 41 lead back to South Water Street. The finish is between the museum and Waterfront Park, the same point as the start. The finish festival is in the park, with food trucks, so supporters can wait there. Finishers receive a medal, a heat sheet and refreshments.
Miles are marked in yellow paint on the measured course. Where the markers and a watch disagree, trust the markers. The timing-mat positions for the next edition are not published.
Flat road at 2 m to 9 m through Old Weeksville to Consolidated Road, wind permitting. Line up by pace sign and take the first gel at around 14 km.
The furthest point, 12.0 km from the start, comes at km 18.6 on Small Drive close to the airship hangar. Base roads are open only to runners wearing a visible bib, and the approved map decides whether they are used.
Weeksville Road returns past Elizabeth City State University near km 39. Exposure and warmth build in the second half, so drink at every station and take the late gel at about 36 km.
The finish is the start line again, between the museum and Waterfront Park. The finish festival and food trucks are in the park.
Course Map
The 2026 course, from Water Street out along Weeksville Road and Consolidated Road to Small Drive at the Coast Guard air station, round the TCOM Drive loop and back through town to the finish. Tap a marker for details, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.
Pacers
On Pace provides pace teams for the whole race, free to join. The organiser publishes no target finish times and defines no waves or corrals. Runners line up by the pace signs at the start.
Target times are not published, so check with the On Pace team at the expo before relying on a particular finish time.
| Wave | Start time | Corrals | Pacers available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single start | 07:30 (adaptive athletes start earlier) | None defined; line up by pace sign | On Pace signs; target times not published |
The organiser promotes a midpoint at the Coast Guard air station but says route work is unfinished, and the most recent course stayed off the base because of security measures. Where base roads are used, only runners with a visible bib may enter, and supporters should not expect to follow. A runner choosing this race for the base should treat access as conditional.
The 2026 weekend included a Memorial Mile honouring 154 service members who had died in operational service since 1972, and Run to Remember participants carried the names of people they were honouring. Check the weekend schedule to see whether it returns.
The challenge groups shorter races hosted by other branches of the services with this event. It does not require six full marathons. Check the current qualifying events and the declaration process before planning around the award.
April averages in Elizabeth City run from a daily low of 9.7°C to a daytime high of 21.6°C. The 07:30 start sits near the cool end of that range, and the afternoon figure arrives long after most runners finish, so pack for a cool start and a warm second half rather than for the monthly average.
Shorts and a singlet suit most runners once moving. Add a light layer for the start line that fits in the bag-check bag, because no clothing-donation scheme has been published. Sun protection matters more than the temperature suggests: there is little shade and the second half can run hot. Sunscreen applied before the start, a cap and sunglasses are all reasonable.
The river brings wind and rain can arrive, so check the forecast on race week and keep a thin shell in the bag. Water stations are about 3.2 km apart. Runners who need more fluid than that spacing gives can carry a bottle or wear a hydration vest, which the rules appear to allow. Confirm the equipment wording before race day.
Entry
Entry is open. Anyone aged 15 or over can register online through RunSignup, and there is no ballot and no qualifying time. The price rises in four bands, so the earliest entry costs least. Totals below include the processing fee shown on the registration page.
Registration closes on 15 March. There is no race-weekend entry, because every runner goes through a background screening before the event. International runners are asked to register by 10 March to leave time for that screening.
The organiser caps the marathon at 1,250 places, a figure that includes challenge entries. No sell-out history is published, so the cap is a limit and not a prediction that places run out.
Entries cannot be sold or given to another person. A one-time deferral to the following year costs $15 and must be requested by 15 March. Entry fees are otherwise non-refundable, with a stated exception for military deployment orders. Weather can alter or cancel the race without refunding entries, so book accommodation and flights on terms that allow changes.
The Semper Paratus Challenge pairs the marathon with the 5K and is its own category on the registration page. It is limited to 150 places and costs a different amount from a marathon-only entry. Choose it at checkout instead of buying two separate entries. A 10% discount applies to current and former active-duty military, and the code is shown on the registration page.
The organiser lists no guaranteed-entry, charity or tour-operator places. Boston-qualifying status is a feature of the course, not a requirement for entry.
Fast runner standards
There is no qualifying time and no ballot, so no elite or guaranteed-entry standard applies to the general field.
Race Weekend
Expo and bib collection
The expo is at the Museum of the Albemarle, 501 S Water Street, a short walk from the start and finish. Race-pack collection and the expo run on Friday and Saturday.
On Friday the expo is open from 15:00 to 19:00. On Saturday the expo opens at 10:00 and the exhibitors close at 15:30, but pack collection continues until 17:00. A runner arriving after 15:30 can still collect a number, though the exhibition will be winding down. Anyone with a travel day before the race should collect on Friday instead of risking a delay on Saturday.
Bring photo ID, and know your bib number, which speeds up the desk. Minors do not need to show photo ID. If someone collects for you, they need their own ID and a copy of yours, and a message saying you consent is not accepted in place of those documents. There is a limited pre-purchased race-day pickup option on Sunday. Buy it in advance, because walk-up collection should not be assumed.
Registered athletes receive a shirt, and finishers receive a medal, a heat sheet and refreshments. The On Pace pace team attends the expo, and it is the place to ask about target times, which are not published online.
The expo and the start area share a small downtown stretch, but they are separate operations. Collecting a number does not complete the security screening, and bag check is at the start and finish, not at the museum. The museum's normal public hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 17:00, with free admission, and it is closed on Sunday and Monday, so the galleries are not open on race morning.
Getting to the start
The full and half marathons start together at 07:30 on Water Street, but the morning begins well before that. Waterfront Park, beside the start area at 508 S Water Street, opens at 06:00. Everyone entering the start and finish area goes through security screening, so aim to arrive early and not on the last bus.
Parking and the shuttle. Downtown parking is free, but the supply near the start is limited. The overflow lots are at Sheep-Harney Elementary, about 2.3 km from the start, and the Ulta car park, about 1.3 km away. Shuttles run from 06:00 to 07:10 and drop runners downtown near the former grocery store at McMorrine and Ehringhaus Streets. Return shuttles run from 13:30 to 15:30, so most runners finish before the first bus. Walking back to an overflow lot or arranging a lift is the practical answer. Supporters should settle their own parking and shuttle plan, because the runner shuttle is not described as a general family service.
Where to sleep. A downtown room removes the parking and shuttle questions. The hotel corridor on Halstead Boulevard is about 2.6 km from the start by the organiser's figure, which is a drive, not a pre-dawn stroll. Check the final road-closure map before choosing a route to park.
Bag check. Full and half marathon runners can leave a bag near the start and finish. Attach the tear-off tag from the bib. The rules page and the sample runner's guide disagree on whether the organiser issues a clear bag, so confirm at the expo before race morning. Pack lightly to speed up inspection, and do not bring travel luggage expecting it to be stored.
Start line. There are no corrals or waves. Runners line up by the pace signs, and adaptive athletes start earlier. Allow a buffer for screening, toilets and bag drop. Keep a layer you do not mind carrying into the bag, since no clothing-donation point has been published.
Rules to know. The bib must be visible and the timing strip intact. Unregistered companions, support bikes and marathon strollers are not allowed on the course. Registered adaptive athletes are accommodated separately.
Finish. Finishers receive a medal, a heat sheet and refreshments. The festival at Waterfront Park is open to the public with food trucks and music, and the main schedule runs it through about 15:00. Supporters wait in the park and not in the finishers' chute. Agree a meeting point in the park and a clothing description, because tracking gives an estimate and not a guaranteed arrival time. Retrieve the bag from bag check before leaving.
Weather. If the weather turns, the race can be altered or cancelled, and entry fees are not refunded for that reason. Watch the organiser's channels in race week.
Nutrition on course
Aid stations sit about every two miles, roughly every 3.2 km, with water and HOIST Fruit Punch sports drink at each. Toilets are at the stations. Two stops also hand out GU gels in Tri-Berry or Salted Caramel: one in the first half, at around 14 km, and one late in the race, at around 36 km. No solid food is listed.
Gel spacing is wide, with roughly 22 km between the two stops, so most runners will carry their own. A practical plan is to test the HOIST drink in training, since it will be the only sports drink on offer, and to carry gels for the stretch between the first and second stops.
Slower runners may find a two-mile gap between stations long. One first-time marathoner who finished in just under five hours carried a vest for that reason. The rules appear to allow hydration vests and belts, but the wording elsewhere restricts backpacks, so check at the expo.
Medical tents are placed along the course, and the number is stated differently on two organiser pages. Personal-bottle service, sponges, ice and on-course massage are not described. The weather decides how much that matters: April daytime highs reach 21.6°C on average, and the second half can run warm.
Spectating
The reliable place to see a runner twice is downtown. Start and finish share Water Street, so a supporter who stays near Waterfront Park watches the 07:30 start and then waits for the finish. Spectators should not expect to follow runners onto the Coast Guard base, and the organiser's other suggested viewing areas are Halstead Boulevard and the area around Elizabeth City State University. No public transport service has been published for race day, so these plans assume a car or a walk.
A live tracking link on the race website gives estimates and works as a guide to when to head for the finish. At an even pace, a three-hour runner finishes near 10:30, a four-hour runner near 11:30, a five-hour runner near 12:30 and a six-hour runner near 13:30. Those times assume the gun goes at 07:30 and are arithmetic, not predictions. Aim to be in position 15 to 20 minutes early, and add time for screening and crossing roads.
- Viewing areas (downtown, Halstead Boulevard, university area, finish festival): organiser rules page. They are leads, not a verified sequence of km points.
- No spectator transport, three timed multi-stop itineraries with confirmed km, crossing permissions or crowd density were found. Do not build any from the 2026 alternative map's street sequence.
- The tracking endpoint found names 2026.
- Finish times are arithmetic from a 07:30 start and are not on any official page.
Post-race food
The nearest food is at the finish. The festival in Waterfront Park runs a food-truck rally open to supporters as well as finishers, and finishers also receive refreshments and a medal. The vendor list and prices are not published in advance.
For a sit-down meal, ask about Sunday hours before walking anywhere, because several downtown places close that day. Hoppin' Johnz, at 606 E Colonial Avenue, is listed by Visit Elizabeth City as a restaurant serving Southern-style cooking. The Corner Mexican Restaurant, at 700 E Main Street, Unit 104, is also in the tourism directory, though its own website shows conflicting hours, so phone before going.
Cypress Creek Grill, at 113 S Water Street, serves seafood and steak and sits right by the finish. It is closed on Sundays, so it suits a Friday or Saturday dinner and not a post-race meal.
Carry a snack for the walk back to the car or hotel and eat within the first hour, whatever the restaurant situation.
Where to Stay
Stay as close to the finish as the budget allows. The start and finish share Water Street, so the finish-first rule and the start-first rule point to the same place: downtown. Elizabeth City is small, local rooms are limited, and the organiser itself advises booking early and looking at surrounding communities.
Downtown and West Main Street
Downtown is the first choice, because Water Street is the start, the finish and the festival. The Culpepper Inn, at 609 W Main Street, is the central option. Its room types carry different age rules, so families should check the specific room. Its continental breakfast starts at 07:00, too late to rely on before a 07:30 gun. Road closures can affect street-facing rooms, and the property can say which side is quieter. The walk to the start has not been measured.
Halstead Boulevard
The in-town hotel corridor suits runners who are happy to drive. The Hampton Inn, at 402 Halstead Boulevard, is the organiser's featured in-town hotel and is about 2.6 km from the start by the organiser's figure. That is a published proximity, not a pedestrian route, so plan to drive or arrange a lift and park before the rolling closures begin.
City Center Boulevard
The Fairfield by Marriott, at 1640 City Center Boulevard, is another in-town hotel with free parking and a standard breakfast from 07:00. It needs a car on race morning, and no walk to the finish has been checked.
Edenton
The organiser lists Edenton as a 35-minute drive. A stay there turns the race into a historic-town weekend, but it adds an early drive and a return after the finish. Edenton's historic-site tours run Tuesday to Saturday, so interior visits fit a later trip better than the Sunday after the race.
Chesapeake and Greenbrier
The organiser features Hilton Garden Inn and Tru by Hilton here and mentions a possible shuttle, which has not been confirmed. These hotels fit a flight into Norfolk but are not finish-line hotels. Do not book on the assumption that a shuttle runs.
Outer Banks and Virginia Beach
The organiser lists both as wider travel areas. Neither works as a base for a 07:30 start, and both are better as an extension after the race.
Book once the cancellation terms suit you. Rooms are limited, the organiser warns about it, and no sell-out date has been found.
Recommended hotels
A small inn on the downtown side of town, which keeps the start, finish and festival within reach without a car. Room types carry different age rules, so families should check the specific room. Continental breakfast starts at 07:00, too late to count on before the 07:30 gun.
The organiser's featured in-town hotel at 402 Halstead Boulevard. The published distance is a proximity figure, not a pedestrian route, so plan on a drive or a lift on race morning and park before the rolling closures start.
An in-town option with free parking and a standard breakfast from 07:00. It needs a car on race morning, and no dedicated race shuttle has been confirmed.
One of the organiser's featured hotels, with an on-site restaurant and a paid breakfast. It suits a late arrival into Norfolk International Airport. The organiser mentions a possible shuttle, which has not been confirmed, so budget for a rental car.
The limited-service sibling of the Hilton Garden Inn on the same road, also featured by the organiser. Like its neighbour, it is a base for flights and a hire car, and not a place to roll out of bed and walk to a start line.
Booking timeline
Registration opens in autumn and the first price band ends in mid-November, which makes the earliest weeks the cheapest time to enter. After the entry is paid, book accommodation on a cancellable rate. Local supply is limited, and the organiser says so.
No sell-out date has been published for rooms or for the marathon, so the safest approach is to book once the race date and the final route are confirmed and the cancellation terms are acceptable. A remote hotel needs a transport plan first. The Chesapeake hotels are advertised alongside a possible shuttle, and a possible shuttle is not a seat.
International runners should register by 10 March, ahead of the 15 March closing date, so that background screening can be completed. Flights into Norfolk International Airport (ORF), about 84 km from Elizabeth City, are the usual choice, and a rental car is the realistic way to cover the distance. Rental desks are in the arrivals terminal and cars are collected from Garage A.
In the final weeks, check the approved route, the pack-collection hours, the shuttle timetable and the road-closure map. In race week, use the real forecast and the organiser's channels.
See & Do
Distances are from the finish, kilometres first, then miles.
Museum of the Albemarle
The state museum of the Albemarle region stands beside the start and finish and hosts the race expo. Admission is free, and the galleries are open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00, which overlaps with Friday and Saturday pack collection. The museum is closed on Sunday and Monday, so race morning and the day after bring no galleries.
Arts of the Albemarle
A regional art gallery in a historic downtown building. It is open Tuesday to Friday from 11:00 to 18:00 and on Saturday from 10:00 to 16:00, and Sunday opening is not listed. A short, flat browse is an easy way to spend the Saturday before the race.
Dismal Swamp State Park
A state park on the Dismal Swamp Canal, with a visitor centre and a paved trail beside the canal. Day use is free, the gates open from 08:00 to 17:30 and trails close with the gates. The visitor centre opens from 08:00 on weekdays and from 09:00 on weekends, and closes at 16:30.
After the Race
A paved trail beside the Dismal Swamp Canal and a visitor centre, on the Sunday afternoon or the Monday after the race. Gates close at 17:30 in April, so the day trip needs an early start.
A colonial waterfront town with a historic courthouse, a quiet bay and inns within walking distance of both. Guided tours run Tuesday to Saturday, so a Sunday night suits the town itself and its free welcome centre better than the interiors.
The Wright Brothers National Memorial and its paved walk up Kill Devil Hill, with a beach day in cool April weather. Two nights leaves a full Monday for the memorial and a flexible Tuesday.
Edenton first, with the Tuesday guided tours timed for the second day, then the Outer Banks for the memorial and the coast. A car carries the whole route.