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

The Cape Fear Marathon & Half takes place entirely on Bald Head Island, North Carolina, offering 26.2-mile marathon and 13.1-mile half marathon distances. Presented by Mount to Coast and hosted by Badwater, it shares organizers with the Badwater race series. The event occurs in October, beginning beside Old Baldy, North Carolina's oldest lighthouse. The course utilizes Bald Head Island’s car-free, single-lane roads, incorporating a brief beach segment near Cape Fear. An aid station is situated near the start by Old Baldy, with another located at the Bald Head Island Conservancy, the race’s local charity partner. The marathon and half marathon run concurrently with the annual Badwater Cape Fear ultramarathon, an East Coast event that mirrors Badwater’s California races.