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, and 7 hours for the full.
LOCATION and TRAVEL:
Bald Head Island and nearby Southport, NC (featured in the film “Safe Haven”) are ideal vacation get-away spots for the entire family, located less than one hour from Wilmington, NC and its major airport with American, United, and Delta service. (Flying into Myrtle Beach, SC is another convenient option.) Runners will enjoy the remarkable beauty and quaint southern charm of this area, as well as this impeccable and one of a kind race experience, no doubt making this race an annual pilgrimage! Participants are responsible for making their own travel and ferry arrangement to get to and from Bald Head Island. Visit BaldHeadIslandFerry.com and download the Bald Head Island Ferry app to book ferry tickets.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2026:
1800-1900: Racer Check-In at Jules’ Salty Grub (outside atop the Tiki Bar)
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2026:
0424: Low Tide (0.95 feet)
0600, 0700, 0800, 0900: Ferries Depart Southport to Bald Head Island (if they are on time)
0725: Sunrise (Tide is at 2.84 feet)
0830-930: Racer Check-In at Jules’ Salty Grub (outside atop the Tiki Bar)
0900-0945: Service at Village Chapel of Bald Head Island
1000: Race starts at Old Baldy Lighthouse
1059: High Tide (5.05 feet)
1130 (app.): First Half Marathon finishers
1400: Half-Marathon Cut-Off (4 hour time limit)
1700: Marathon Race Course Closes (7 hour time limit)
1741: Low Tide (1.14 feet)
1824: Sunset
2316: High Tide (3.56 feet)
SWAG:
All entrants will receive a Cape Fear Marathon & Half tote bag which includes:
-
Cape Fear Marathon & Half bib with bib number and personal name
-
A set of four Badwater BibBoards Snap & Lock Bib Fasteners (good bye, safety pins!)
-
A special Cape Fear edition Road ID with runner's name, home town, bib #, and emergency contact and phone number
-
Cape Fear Marathon & Half tri-blend t-shirt
-
Cape Fear Marathon & Half hat by BOCO Gear
-
Badwater / Cape Fear "buff" by Barking Frogs
-
Badwater / Cape Fear Race Cup as this is a "cupless" race (We also recommend bringing and using a hand-held water bottle)
-
Badwater Sunglasses
-
Badwater Chip Clip
-
Additionally, we will host a burger party - FREE for all competitors at Jules' Salty Grub - on the Bald Head Island Marina, right next to the finish line! This includes a hamburger or bean burger and a beer or non-alcoholic drink.
AWARDS:
• Finishers will receive a Cape Fear Marathon Medal by Maxwell Medals at the finish line.
• Those who complete Badwater Cape Fear (50km or 51mi) and Cape Fear Marathon (26.2 or 13.1) in the same calendar year will receive an additional special award. This will arrive via US Postal Service a few weeks after the race.
• Male and Female Winners of the half- and full-marathon will receive a complimentary pair of Mount to Coast shoes!
SUPPORT PROVIDED AT THE THREE AID STATIONS:
– Water
– Tailwind Endurance Fuel drink. This will be pre-mixed at the standard concentration. If you want the powder to mix up your own in your bottle or pack, just ask.
– Hyk Energy packets to add to your bottle– Hammer Gel in individual serving packets in several flavors. PLEASE do not drop or throw these anywhere on the beach or race course. They MUST be disposed of properly, along with all other trash, or we will not be invited back!
– Electrolyte Capsules: Endurolytes by Hammer Nutrition.
– Mini Clif Bars
– Cookies, such as “Aussie Mega Bites”
– Coke
– Ginger Ale
– Chips
– Pretzels
– Trail Mix
– Bananas
– Oranges
– Pickles
– Pickle Juice
– Supplies such as Sun Block, RunGoo, Handiwipes, Hand Gel, and Tums.
– We do NOT serve Ibuprofen.
AID STATION LOCATIONS:
HALF MARATHON
Mi 3.8: Where runners enter the beach to round Cape Fear (also has a toilet)
Mi 6.7 Bald Head Island Conservancy (also has toilets)
Mi 9.5 Just past Old Baldy Lighthouse (also the start line toilets are about 50 yards prior)
Mi 13.1 Finish Line Party at Jules Salty Grub (food, toilets, your “drop bag,” and more)
MARATHON
Mi 3.8: Where runners enter the beach to round Cape Fear (also has a toilet)
Mi 7.4 Bald Head Island Conservancy (also has toilets)
Mi 10.2 Just past Old Baldy Lighthouse (also the start line toilets are about 50 yards prior)
Mi 13.7 Same as Mile 3.8 above (2nd visit)
Mi 15.4 Same as Mile 7.4 above (2nd visit)
Mi 18.2 Same as Mile 10.2 above (2nd visit)
Mi 21.7 Same as Mile 3.8 above (3rd visit)
Mi 23.4 Same as 7.4 above (3rd visit)
Mi 26.3 Finish Line Party at Jules Salty Grub (food, toilets, your “drop bag,” and more)
POLICIES:
• Entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Please do not ask.
• If the event is canceled due to pandemic, hurricane, community disaster, or other force majeure, neither refunds nor credits will be given.
• Although we anticipate using the same or nearly the same route each year, the final, exact route is subject to approval from various government agencies and is always subject to change due to various factors beyond our control.
• This event is held subject to special use permits from the Village of Bald Head Island.
MORE ABOUT CAPE FEAR:
Cape Fear is a prominent headland jutting into the Atlantic Ocean from Bald Head Island on the coast of North Carolina in the southeastern United States. It is largely formed of barrier beaches and the silty outwash of the Cape Fear River as it drains the southeast coast of North Carolina through an estuary south of Wilmington.
Cape Fear is formed by the intersection of two sweeping arcs of shifting, low-lying beach, the result of longshore currents which also form the treacherous, shifting Frying Pan Shoals, part of the Graveyard of the Atlantic.
Dunes dominated by sea oats occur from the upper beach driftline back to the stable secondary dunes, where they mix with other grasses such as Saltmeadow Cordgrass and panic grass, as well as seaside goldenrod, spurge and other herbs to form a stable salt- tolerant grassland.
The Cape Fear estuary drains the largest watershed in North Carolina, containing 27% of the state’s population.
Giovanni da Verrazzano, the Italian explorer sailing for France, made landfall after crossing the Atlantic at or near Cape Fear on March 1, 1524.
The name comes from the 1585 expedition of Sir Richard Grenville. Sailing to Roanoke Island, his ship became embayed behind the cape. Some of the crew were afraid they would wreck, giving rise to the name Cape Fear.[1] It is the fifth-oldest surviving English place name in the U.S.
Cape Fear was the landing place of General Sir Henry Clinton during the American Revolutionary War on May 3, 1775. The 1962 movie Cape Fear and its 1991 remake were set at Cape Fear.
The legend of Cape Fear lives on with BADWATER® CAPE FEAR, and now the CAPE FEAR MARATHON!
Source: Wikipedia
MORE ABOUT OLD BALDY:
Bald Head Lighthouse, known as Old Baldy, is the oldest lighthouse still standing in North Carolina. It was built to help guide ships past the dangerous shoals at the mouth of the Cape Fear river. Old Baldy was completed by 1817 for just under $16,000 using bricks salvaged from the previous Bald Head lighthouse. A stone plaque above the entrance identifies the builder as Daniel S. Way, and the foundry for the lantern room, that was also salvaged from the old tower, as R. Cochran. Old Baldy was originally equipped with an array of 15 lamps and reflectors, and as technology improved, it later housed a Fresnel lens. It was decommissioned in 1958, but stands as a day beacon and symbol of Bald Head Island. The lighthouse has been restored and is open to the public; come climb its stairs to the top! Since 2014, Old Baldy has stood watch over the Badwater Cape Fear start line. Learn more at OldBaldy.org.
MORE ABOUT BALD HEAD ISLAND CONSERVANCY
The Bald Head Island Conservancy was founded on Bald Head Island, NC in 1983 with a focus on barrier island conservation, preservation, and education. The Conservancy sponsors and facilitates scientific research that benefits coastal communities and provides numerous recreational and educational activities to the public. In coordination with various organizations, partnerships, and collaborations, the Conservancy has led the nation in conservation and research efforts and is uniquely poised to become a leader in Barrier Island Conservation world-wide.
Badwater fans and race participants will appreciate that BHIC cares for the pristine setting for the Badwater Cape Fear race route and its role as a seat turtle nesting site and sanctuary. The Conservancy also serves as the host and finish line for our event. As such, our goal is to annually raise $10,000 to purchase one of the special UTV vehicles which BHIC uses to patrol the beach and care for sea turtle nesting sites.
Since 2014, AdventureCORPS has made or facilitated more than $155,000 in donations to the Bald Head Island Conservancy.
More info: BHIC.org