Ellerbe Marathon
Ellerbe, United States · February · Independent
Why people love it
- Run every year since 1992; every finisher gets a custom medal and a locally made pottery cup.
- Hot soup and cheese quesadillas at the finish, served by Ellerbe Fire and Rescue.
- Park within a block of the start; race-morning packet pickup has no lines.
Watch out for
- Surprisingly hilly loop run twice, including a long climb up Darkside Mountain.
- Roads are open to traffic and runners report one portable toilet on course.
- About 45 finishers, so expect quiet stretches and few spectators.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Very tough
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.1
MarathonGuide rates it 4.7 of 5 (6 runners), RaceRaves 4.3 (4). A small-town favorite with strong swag; complaints are hills and one toilet. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run4.1
MarathonGuide organisation is 5.0, RaceRaves production 4.3. Quick pickup, close parking, good communication. One runner saw a single toilet and only just enough aid. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyDoable3.1
Nine-hour cutoff and an easy start, but a hilly loop run twice, a field of about 45 and few spectators. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialSlow2.4
Hilly twice-around loop with a long climb up Darkside Mountain. No Boston qualifiers among 45 finishers in 2026, though one reviewer set a personal best. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryBeautiful3.5
RaceRaves scenery 3.0 of 5 but MarathonGuide course score 4.8; a runner describes peaceful, serene rolling back country. · Low confidence
- Room to runRoomy4.2
Small field on wide rural roads, loop run twice; no congestion reported. · Low confidence
- Road surfaceGood3.6
Paved state secondary roads; reviews raise no surface problems. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly open2.0
Organiser says the roads are open to traffic; quiet rural roads limit the risk. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessHilly2.4
Reviewers say surprisingly hilly and a listing tags the course hilly; gain not published. · Low confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Loop course that returns to the start, net change zero. · Medium confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSmooth4.3
Parking under a block from start and finish, no-frills start and no lines at race-morning packet pickup. · Medium confidence
- Pacers and timingSome pace groups2.5
No pace groups mentioned; timing is basic for a field of about 45. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportDecent2.6
Reviewers say few spectators beyond volunteers, though a visiting teen found the crowd and fellow runners very encouraging. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsStandard3.3
Four or five stops with water, sports drink and snacks. One runner saw only one portable toilet; hot soup and quesadillas at the finish. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindMostly calm3.5
No reviewer mentions wind. · Low confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant4.0
February 08:00 start with lows 6 to 11 °C (42 to 52 °F); a reviewer in 2026 reported fantastic weather. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.2
Late-February highs have ranged from 8 to 26 °C (47 to 78 °F) across recent years. · Low confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints3.4
Start and finish at the same place on a double loop gives repeat viewing, but few spectators attend. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.6
About 145 m (475 ft) above sea level. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityBook early2.6
Ellerbe is tiny; most lodging is in nearby towns such as Rockingham. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.5
Small-town prices in neighbouring towns; no surge reported. · Low confidence
- WalkabilitySome driving2.8
Parking is next to the start, but hotels are in other towns. · Low confidence
- Travel easeAwkward2.4
About 130 km (80 mi) from Charlotte's airport on rural roads. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSimple4.3
Race-morning pickup with no queue, parking next to the start, no shuttles. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodFine3.0
Small rural town; hot soup and cheese quesadillas from the Ellerbe Fire and Rescue after the finish. · Low confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inOpen entry4.8
Open entry, field of about 45, rarely sells out. · High confidence
- Value for moneyGreat value4.5
$75 gets a pre-race shirt, a custom medal, a locally made pottery cup for every finisher and a hot lunch. · Medium confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Ellerbe, Richmond County, United States
- Typical month
- February
- Latest or next date
- 27 February 2027
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 45 athletes
- First held
- 1992
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- laps
- Start time
- 08:00
- Cutoff
- 9 hours
- Boston qualifier
- No
- Surface
- Paved state secondary roads, open to traffic
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Rarely
- Entry fee
- About $75
- Air temperature
- 6–18 °C (43–64 °F)
- Humidity
- Moderate
- Altitude
- 145 m (475 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Charlotte Douglas International (CLT), 130 km (81 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Rockingham
- Booking
- Ellerbe is small; nearby towns such as Rockingham, about 20 km (12 mi) away, have more hotels.
What racers and reviewers say
- MarathonGuide (Ellerbe Marathon)Raced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
Rated 4.7 of 5 from 6 runners, with course 4.8, organisation 5.0 and spectators 4.4. Reviewers praise a friendly small-town race, a peaceful rolling course, a prayerful director, hot soup and quesadillas, and finisher pottery cups. Cautions: train for hills; only one portable toilet was seen on course; aid is 'just enough'.
“Small Town Race with the BEST finisher prizes”
- RaceRaves (Ellerbe Marathon)Raced 2024 · aggregator · Positive
Rated 4.3 of 5 from 4 runners, 2020 to 2026: difficulty 4.0, scenery 3.0, production 4.3, swag 4.3. Paved rural roads on a loop run twice, surprisingly hilly. Four or five aid stops, friendly volunteers, no lines at packet pickup and soup and quesadillas to finish. A small local event with few spectators.
“Rolling hills! The course is on rural country roads that are surprisingly hilly.”
Raced Ellerbe Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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