Mother Earth Brewing Ironclad Half-Marathon & 5k 2026

The Mother Earth Brewing Ironclad Half-Marathon & 5k takes place in October in Kinston, North Carolina. It offers a half marathon for those seeking a longer run and a 5k for a shorter run or walk. Mother Earth Brewing is the title sponsor, and Ironclad Races Inc., a Kinston-based nonprofit, organizes the event. The race attracts a local and accessible field, not a massive one: recent half marathon fields have included just over one hundred runners to slightly more than four hundred, while the 5k has drawn from under one hundred to nearly four hundred participants. The event aims to draw runners to Kinston and highlight the city's historic and cultural attractions. Its proceeds support local groups such as HOPE Restorations, Hugo Volunteer Fire Department, Mary’s Soup Kitchen, and other community organizations. The race also ties into local environmental efforts through a partnership with Mother Earth Foundation and Sound Rivers to install a Trash Trap on the Neuse River. This provides the weekend with a distinct small-city character: a race sponsored by a brewery, managed by a nonprofit, with funds and focus remaining within Kinston.