Course Description
The Raleigh City of Oaks Marathon and Rex Healthcare Half Marathon are USATF-sanctioned events and USATF certified courses (the marathon is a Boston Marathon qualifier). The race courses were designed to showcase many of the focal points of the city including the State Capital Building, Glenwood South, Hillsborough Street, Meredith College, N.C. State University and the Bell Tower. Marathon runners will be treated to running through Umstead State Park. This jewel of the Triangle has long been a favorite destination for local runners. The courses showcase the diversity of Raleigh's landscape, from modern city to forest trails and open farmland.
Both the Raleigh City of Oaks Marathon and the Rex Healthcare Half Marathon will run together for the first roughly ten miles. Half marathoners will then pick up the last three miles of the marathon course and continue to the finish. Marathoners will continue out onto the marathon course. Part of the marathon course will traverse 3.5 miles of wide, fine-packed gravel trails through Umstead State Park. Some rolling hills before, within, and after the park make the full marathon course more hilly than the half marathon.
Turn-by-turn Directions
- Start on Hillsborough Street at the Bell Tower
- Begin by running towards downtown (eastbound)
- Turn right onto Ashe Avenue
- Turn left onto westbound Western Avenue (from west side of triangle in intersection)
- Turn left onto Boylan Ave
- Turn right onto Morgan St
- Turn right onto Dawson St
- Turn left onto Martin St
- Turn left onto Fayetteville St
- Turn right onto Morgan St
- Turn left onto Wilmington St
- Turn left onto Salisbury St
- Turn right onto Hillsborough St
- Turn right onto Glenwood Ave
- Turn left onto Peace St
- Continue onto Clark Ave
- Turn right onto Brooks Ave
- Turn left onto Barmettler St
- Turn left onto Dixie Trail
- Turn right onto Clark Ave
- Turn right onto Hillsborough St (stay on right side of median)
- Turn right onto Blue Ridge Rd (stay on right side of road)
- Half marathon will turn around just south of the entrance to the vet school (go to step 35)
- Continue northbound on Blue Ridge Rd (stay on right side of median)
- Turn left onto Reedy Creek Rd
- Turn right onto Edwards Mill Rd (stay on right side of median)
- Turn left onto Duraleigh Rd (stay in far left lane only)
- Turn left onto Ebenezer Church Rd (stay in left lane only)
- Turn left onto Graylyn Dr
- Continue into Umstead State Park
- Turn left onto Reedy Creek Trail inside Umstead
- Continue onto Reedy Creek Greenway when exiting Umstead
- Merge onto Reedy Creek Rd at Edwards Mill Rd and continue on Reedy Creek Rd
- Turn right onto Blue Ridge Road (stay on left side of median)
- Turn left onto Hillsborough St (stay on right side of median)
- Continue on Hillsborough St to finish near bell tower (no lane restrictions after Gorman St)
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