Get in the Best Shape for: The Emerald Isle Marathon!
Lace up your running shoes! The Emerald Isle, NC Marathon is one of the best ways to challenge yourself while supporting a local charity. The 7th annual marathon in Emerald Isle will be held on March 28, 2020. It is a beautiful run with beach views and one of the flattest and fastest courses! The Emerald Isle Marathon is a Boston Qualifier and is sanctioned and certified!
In addition to a marathon, organizers offer a half-Marathon option as well as a 5K race.
Fees vary according to distance. The entry fee for the Marathon is $75. for the half-Marathon the cost to enter is $55 and for the 5K, the fee is $25.
The Marathon kicks off festivities on March 28th at 7AM. Runners in the half-Marathon assemble at the starting line at 8:35AM. Ten minutes later at 8:45AM, runners take off in the 5K dash!
All races start at the Western access, adjacent to the Islander Hotel where many of the participants stay the night before and the night after. The course is very flat. The race starts next to the Islander Hotel, and from there takes runners for long stretches along Coast Guard Road, Emerald Drive, Ocean Drive and Sound Drive, for a nearly two-mile-long stretch along the waters of Bogue Sound, past beach homes and over bridges, and through the town of Emerald Isle along the way.
Although less than a decade old, race director Candice Dooley and an army of volunteers have this race dialed in what with plenty of water at water stations and porta-potties at the start-finish line. The preparation is way better than I've seen for many older and bigger Marathons. That, plus the course and location make the Emerald Isle Marathon a good addition to any marathoner's bucket list.
Course: The first 8 miles of the course takes you on Coast Guard Road and winds you through neighborhoods on Emerald Isle’s west end. There are a number of turns and there are plenty of plastic signs marking the turns as well as arrows that had been spray painted on the roads. Better still, each of those turns were staffed by friendly volunteers who pointed to way to go as they cheered runners on.
Around the 8-mile mark, the course loops back toward the start line and meets up with the half-marathoners who start 75 minutes later after the 7AM Marathon start. After crossing Emerald Drive, the Town's only busy road – with police and volunteer assistance – the course next heads into another residential neighborhood on Sound Drive along the water on Bogue Sound before crossing back again – more police and volunteers – to run a long flat stretch along Ocean Drive where you pass many beach homes.
After mile 18, you leave Ocean Drive and head back to the finish line following the town’s biking/running path. This mainly parallel's Emerald Drive but just before the finish you take a jog into a wooded area for the final mile stretch to home. It was windy as heck on race day and it hit right on the nose for this last stretch.
Overall, the course is lovely. One complaint I heard was that it was not as flat as many had expected. True, there are a few rollers but even that term is generous for the teeny-tiny inclines and declines on this course. We're talking going from 5' of elevation to 15'. Granted, it is not pancake flat like some other beach races – like the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach. But you certainly couldn’t call it hilly.
As with all beach Marathons, you do have wind to contend with. In March that wind can come from the west or the east. Wither way, prepare to run about half the race into the wind.
The Emerald Isle Marathon requires that runners keep to a minimum 16-minute mile pace during their run. The marathon will close down after seven hours, so you’ll want to be sure to stick to that pace if you’re planning on entering the full marathon.
Support: The course is insanely well supported with volunteers. It really seems like the entire town is out there at some point or another marking the course, handing out water, or cheering you on. The water stops and energy gel stations are not as plentiful as you might find at larger races, however they are clearly identified ahead of time. Be sure to check them out to decide whether or not to carry additional water/gels on your own.
Each year, the Emerald Isle Marathon organizers choose a different charity that will benefit from the proceeds of the race. In the past , the earnings have gone toward Little Pink House of Hope, a charity which supports breast cancers patients and survivors, and the Emerald Isle Bike and Pedestrian Path.
Spring is a lovely time to visit Emerald Isle, NC. If you would like a complimentary Guide to Visiting Emerald Isle, NC, send me an email to: DRaczkowski@fathomrealty.com.
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