Umstead Trail Marathon

Umstead Trail Marathon is a full marathon (26.2 miles) run entirely inside William B. Umstead State Park in Raleigh, North Carolina, on March 6, 2027, with the start at 9:00 a.m. The park covers roughly 5,000 acres, and the course mixes technical singletrack with smooth gravel bridle paths, winding through dense woods, past lakes and streams, and over rolling hills. Aid stations are well stocked, volunteers are plentiful, and a buffet waits at the finish.

Because it is a trail marathon on rolling ground, this is not the place to chase a road personal best — expect a finishing time meaningfully slower than your flat-course equivalent and pace by effort. It suits a runner who already has a marathon or two and wants a different kind of challenge. A 16-week build with a weekly long run reaching 20 miles, some of it on trail, and regular hill work will prepare you for the terrain shifts between singletrack and gravel.