The OBX® Marathon is presented by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau
Course Description
The Outer Banks Marathon is a point to point course. The Marathon will start in Kitty Hawk, providing breathtaking views of the Albemarle Sound; traverse the famous Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills; meander through the lush Nags Head Woods Maritime Forest; take you through some of our finest neighborhoods with cheering supporters; pass the largest sand dune on the East Coast at Jockey’s Ridge State Park; cross the beautiful Washington-Baum Bridge; and finish on Roanoke Island near where the first English colonists landed in 1587. Click here for more course information.
Course Aid Stations
Water Stations
Available at all odd mile markers along the marathon course.
Gatorade
Provided at mile 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 25 and the Finish.
Energy Stations
Assorted flavors of CarbBOOM energy gel at mile 13, 17, 21 and 23.
Medical Aid Stations
Located at all odd mile markers along the course.
Port-a-Johns
Provided at the Start, the Finish and every 2-3 miles along the course.
Getting There: Shuttles, Parking & Race Day Traffic
Runner Drop Off: Get dropped off at the Start – From Hwy 158 (By-Pass) in Southern Shores, turn onto Dogwood Trail. Turn right into the parking lot of Kitty Hawk Elementary School, 16 Dogwood Trail, Southern Shores, NC 27949. Runner drop-off is at the school, a short walk to the Start.
Marathon Shuttles: Park near the Start, take a shuttle to the Start and catch a shuttle back to your car after the race OR park near the Finish, take a shuttle to the Start, run the race and then take a short shuttle to your car parked near the Finish.
Park near Start option:
Wal-Mart: 5400 N Croatan Highway, in Kitty Hawk, NC 27949
Shuttles departing every 10 minutes beginning at 6:30am.
Park near Finish option:
Manteo High School: 616 Wingina Avenue, Manteo NC 27959
Shuttles depart promptly from Manteo High School at 5:45am to take you to the Marathon Start.
Need To Know Info
Lost & Found:
All lost and found items, excluding discarded clothing along the course, will be taken to the Finish; specifically, outside the historic Dare county courthouse on Queen Elizabeth Stree. Please note: discarded clothing along the course will be thrown away.
Family Reunion Area:
Family members and friends can meet up with runners in front of the historic Dare County courthouse on Queen Elizabeth Street after the Finish. Volunteers will be there to make and receive calls for you.
Can’t Finish?
In a non-emergency situation, a medical or course volunteer can arrange complimentary transportation. A contact number will be provided prior to race day, which will be listed in the race program and given to course volunterrs. Please keep this number with you on race day OR ask a Mile Marker or Medical volunteer to call for you.
Spectators
Race Day Traffic Pattern: To help spectators get to the Finish line and post-race festivities, all traffic entering Manteo/Roanoke Island after 7:00am on race day will use the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge, travel through Manns Harbor, cross the Manns Harbor Bridge and enter Manteo from the west side of the island. This will add an additional 15 minutes to your trip to the Finish area, and directional signs will be out for you to follow. Note: the Washington-Baum Bridge will be open to traffic.
Free Start Line Spectator Shuttles: Immediately following the start of the marathon, a limited number of shuttles will be available to take spectators from the Start to the Finish area in downtown Manteo (there are a limited number of these shuttles making only one trip to the Finish). A shuttle will also be available to return you to Walmart, Nags Head Elementary or Manteo High School. Return shuttles will run all day, starting at 7:45am.
Free Finish Line Spectator Shuttles: For Finish line spectators, ample parking and convenient shuttles are available at Manteo High School and Manteo Elementary.
1) Manteo High School: 616 Wingina Avenue, Manteo NC 27959
2) Manteo Elementary School: 701 N Hwy 64/264, Manteo, NC 27954
Shuttles will depart from Manteo High School every 15 minutes beginning at 7:15am and run all day.
Spectator Parking near Finish: Limited street-side parking is available in downtown Manteo. The spectator shuttles at Manteo High School and Manteo Elementary are recommended for spectators who want to find parking and get to the Finish line without a lot of hassle.
Family Reunion Area: Family members and friends can meet up with runners in front of the historic Dare County courthouse on Queen Elizabeth Street after the Finish. Volunteers will be there to make and receive calls for you.
Dry Goods Service Provided By UPS
Bring a change of clothes with you to the start, turn them over to UPS, and UPS will have them waiting for you at the Finish. You'll receive a Dry Goods Bag and Label at the EXPO.
Race Timing
The Marathon, Half Marathon and 8K will be timed by Lin-Mark Computer Sports, Inc. of Mantua NJ utilizing the Chronotrack Timing System. The Chrontrack D-tag will be attached to your race bib and the D-tag must be removed from the bib and attached to your shoes, as shown here .
NOTE: Championship Chips cannot be used for the races as the D-tag technology is different. You must use the Chronotrack D-tag .
Race Results & Course Records
Race Results will be updated periodically on race day. Final results will be posted at the post race party and online on race day. Awards given at the Awards ceremony on race day will not be revised, should there be a change in race results following the ceremony.
Outer Banks Marathon will submit race results to USATF to review, determine and ratify any new course records set. Please allow adequate time for the application process, as this can take several months.
The Outer Banks Marathon will serve as the 2009 North Carolina USATF Marathon Championship.