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

AdventureCORPS® – the organizers of the iconic worldwide series of Badwater® races – are pleased to host the Cape Fear Marathon & Half Marathon on Bald Head Island, North Carolina. This is the home of fabled and legendary Cape Fear, and the home to our annual Badwater Cape Fear ultramarathon - now in its 12th year - the "(B)east Coast" counterpart to our two California-based races, Badwater Salton Sea and Badwater 135. This third edition of the Cape Fear Marathon & Half will take place on Sunday, October 18, 2026. With 26.2 and 13.1-mile race options, Cape Fear Marathon and Half Marathon presented by Mount to Coast takes place entirely on Bald Head Island and its car-free, one-lane-wide roads, plus a short but spectacular stretch on the beach around Cape Fear herself. The start line is located at Old Baldy, the oldest lighthouse in North Carolina, with an aid station nearby. Another aid station will be located at the Bald Head Island Conservancy , our local charitable partner, and a third aid station is located where runners enter the beach to go around Cape Fear. The finish line is quite near the start line, and is located at the marina end of the wooden bridge which crosses the marsh creek. The finish line is also located behind Jules Salty Grub, our finish line party host. Essentially, half-marathoners will do one and a half laps of the island, with one .75-mile sand stretch around Cape Fear, while full marathoners will do three laps of the island and three trips around Cape Fear for a total of 2.2 miles of beach running, along with 24 miles on the golf cart roads of Bald Head Island. There will be three aid station locations along the race route, which is more than adequate, BUT this is an adventure marathon in a remote location, so carrying a hand-held water bottle, waist pack, and/or hydration pack is a must. Additionally, this is a "cupless" race, so carrying the Badwater race cup is critical. The time limit for the half is 4 hours, an