Ellerbe Springs Marathon - Race Reviews

These comments are for the 01 March 2025 running. The Ellerbe marathon is a classic small-town marathon. And this is a classic small-town marathon to savor. Course (5): This beautiful course through the rolling hills and conifer forests of south-central North Carolina is a gem of a run. This course is arguably the most challenging ROAD marathon I have ever run (100+ on roads alone), with the possible exception of the Crater Lake Rim Marathon (1994). There are several longer hills (less than a mile) but still mostly runnable. There was incredibly minimal traffic, and most of this was event related. This is country running at its finest. Beautiful. Organization(5): This is a small-town marathon, so everything was top-notch and very personable. Packet pickup was a sociable event with plenty of smiles. Doug, the race director, and his family, friends, and additional volunteers were wonderful. Great history in this man and this race. Aid stations were adequately stocked, especially for the second loop. Traffic control and other law enforcement was virtually non-existent because it wasn’t even needed. Good satisfying food and beverage after the race. Great job. Spectators(3): Being run in the edge of wilderness, there were virtually no spectators given the nature of the course. However, I gave this category a “3” due to the nature of the kind and wonderful drivers who did occasionally pass by. Drivers went way beyond courteous. This is small-town community at its finest. Wonderful. What must also be mentioned is that this is a fundraiser for the local Ellerbe Rescue squad. This enhanced the feeling of community which permeated the whole event. If there are runners out there who crave a late winter challenge, you can’t go wrong with this venerable marathon. Happy trails everyone.

I love this race and I come back and do it every year because the people (fellow participants and volunteers) are top notch and so supportive. The hot soup and cheesy quesadillas at the finish line are also a welcome treat. The race shirt along with the pottery and finisher medal is very nice. It is by far my favorite race.

Another Boogie event put on by Doug, friends, and family. Such a great series of events. This course is no frills, no drama, and no problem. Well, no problems logistically. Come to a great little town called Ellerbe and run the back country roads. No street lights, almost zero cars that are not affiliated with the run or a runner, and just enough support to know you're not alone out there. Note: It will be windy. It's pretty hilly, and there are probably no spectators so bring your own. No frills right? I love these races.

If you want a flat fast course with thousands of spectators and other runners, this is not your race. If you want a challenging rural course with only about a hundred or so runners and very few but enthusiastic spectators that is extremely well organized, try Ellerbe. Doug does a wonderful job putting on this race. Doug, the volunteers, and the other runners are all great. The vibe is more like an ultra than a road marathon. I have finished this marathon for 18 consecutive years and there are people that have been coming back for even longer. Why? It is an awesome race. For 2021, Doug changed the start and aid stations to comply with all Covid-19 safety regulations. Thank you for that. Doug is also an extremely patient man who will wait for the very last finisher. I am no longer as young and fast as I was 18 years ago when I first ran this race. I have finished last for the last few years. Doug is still waiting at the finish, and there is still food left for the last finishers. Velocity challenged runners will appreciate the generous time limits. After the first year, Doug and many of the other repeat participants knew my name, making this a wonderful small town rural marathon. Try it.

My wife and I both ran the marathon. Pleasantly surprised. Easy to get to, parked right by the start. Friendly staff. Quite hilly but no steep hills.All paved roads, beautiful views, very few cars. I am slow but made good time for me. Nice wine cup and medal at the finish. Enjoyed it a lot!

Compliments to Doug Dawkins and his entire team. Well run race, and logically laid out as a Full/Half combo. Ellerbe proved to be very challenging (my Garmin said 1500+ ft of climb - about the same as MapMyRun), and despite being a 2 loop course, was in no way boring (some 2 loop courses are). Scenic surroundings, great traffic control, easy no-touch water stops, ... As a small race, there was limited crowd support - to be expected. If you want to be challenged by the hills of NC, I definitely recommend it!

This was my 94th marathon. It was the first marathon that we picked up the packets from boxes in the back of a pick up truck. The course was hilly with beautiful pine trees lining the roads. The course was well marked with painted arrows on the roads pointing to the direction in which we needed to run. There were volunteers driving the course to check on the runners. One volunteer stood at the edge of the road to scare off some dogs that were attempting to chase the runners. There was no finish time limit. Upon crossing the finish line, we got a medal, pottery, and hot soup, cheese quesadillas, and hot coffee. It was a great race!!

We read about this race through Runner's World Mag a couple months ago and knew Ellerbe wasn't far from us. Through our needs for a training run for perspective upcoming races this naturally fit into our training plans. It's a small hometown race so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Wow!! This race surely surprised me from start to finish. We arrived the night before and stayed at the Ellerbe Springs Inn. We were <2miles from the start. Parking was super easy and close and even tho' there were only two portapotties the fire rescue department opened their building for us to use. And then we were off. The majority of the racers ran the half (including my husband and friend). The race is all road and the route wasn't closed. To be honest, it wasn't necessary because of it being so rural there were hardly any vehicles and perhaps I *may* have encountered 20 overall and I ran the Full. There was plenty room on the berm of the road and in general I ran on the side on the soft surface as much as I could. The beginning of the race was more down hill and then... it was up, down, and mostly up. Thankfully, the last portions of the loops were flat. There were enough aid stations, the volunteers were delightful, friendly and willing to chat me up. And they had PICKLES!!! The only complaint I have and this has nothing to do with the race was the darn wind - headwind, tailwind and side winds! ugh! I'm a slower runner and when I returned to the finish line there was still a small amount of fanfare. There was lovely lady at the end cheering me in and unbeknownst to me we were offered pottery wine goblets from SEAGROVE - my favorite pottery town!! and, our course medals. The food (veggie soup and quesadillas) were a welcomed food after running a full. I believe I may have clocked my second fastest Marathon pace, too! I think that's from the tailwind.

I ran the half marathon version but it is the same course as the marathon (just two laps of the same course for the marathon). The course was challenging with the hills but the scenery really took my mind off of the hills. The view from the out and back portion was worth the pause to look around. To top everything off soup and quesadillas (along with water and sodas) were waiting at the finish line.

I ran the half marathon version of this run. This was my 4th year doing the half. It is a scenic country run with rolling hills. Great crowd support and plenty of aid stations.

The day we ran was in the 30's and there was a wind in our face on the way out, but it warmed up pretty quickly. Some challenging hills. The roads weren't closed, so I was running at an angle for a lot of it. No real spectators to speak of, if that's an issue. All the people associated with the race were really nice, and made for a unique, friendly experience.

Second time running Ellerbe and it kicks my butt! The route is beautiful and everyone is so friendly! The volunteers come out in force to make this an enjoyable event. Not any spectators...but I like that! It is very hilly but sooo fun!

I've been trying to get to run this race for years, but couldn't ever fit it in my schedule. Or maybe I was intimidated by how hilly I heard it was. Glad I finally did. Yes it was hilly, but it's a great 'little' race with a big heart. The organizers are very passionate about running and the volunteers are sooo helpful and nice. It's a great warm up race if you want to try the more challenging Boogie 50 in the summer. Please try to get to this one !

Admit - I only ran the half - but for the full you run the same 13 again. The community is what makes this race. The course is a very beautiful country side run with hills. (yes, hills) But they are doable. I have never ran Ellerbe before, but have many friends who have have. I can honestly say this was one of my favorite races. I have ran the big ones (Boston/Disney) and small local ones. But this is by far one of the best. The field of runners were all like family and knew each other, yet very welcoming to us newcomers. There were two girls who were doing their first half, and the experienced runners were so comforting and encouraging before the race. The course was challenging. First part was rolling hills that seemed to go down more than up, and the middle was let's just say up, and the end was more flat and a good way to finish. There was no pressure - I ran a good portion with a group and talked , met people and just chatted. Then because I was only doing the half, I could speed up. So the end portion of the run I was alone. (Peaceful) Every single person that I passed, told me I was looking good! When I got close to the finish the marathoners were going back out on the second loop and they looked strong. Even though they were on mile 14, they all said hi and had encouraging comments. The volunteers at the end of the race were fantastic. We received the medal and a wonderful pottery wine cup. I picked a white color and another runner commented how pretty it was but there were no more out. The volunteer (on her own) went digging through boxes to find another white one. Can you say awesome customer service. Soup at the end - can't beat that! Also final note, as I was running I saw the race director driving by - he was checking with the volunteers. There must be a dog on the course that may cause a little mischief, but he had a volunteer stationed by the house to ensure the runners safety. You cannot ask for more care....

If you like smaller scenic races, this is a race for you. It's an out and back 'keyhole' race and its nothing but country logging and farm road after road. The race is not flat by any stretch, it's lots of rolling NC hills but I had a blast. Strongly encourage this race for anyone looking for something memorable.

I prefer small town marathons and small town hospitality. You will get both from the Ellerbe Marathon in Ellerbe, North Carolina. This year was the 29th annual and I hope to make the 30th annual next year. The staff and volunteers are all friendly and very accommodating. The course is all rural and on beautiful back-roads in their county. Plenty of hills to challenge you and just enough runners to keep you company. Finisher medals and shirts are very nice and the vegetarian soup along with quesadillas at the local fire station were top notch. Ellerbe Marathon is unquestionably a feel good event that I highly recommend to all runners.

A very challenging course and very rewarding when you finish and receive your awesome finishing medal and pottery. I have ran the marathon 10 times and the race director and support personnel are top notch. I would recommend this race to everyone that wants to have a great time with a low key race.

The heat came early in the marathon. 81 degrees! The course was up big hills up small hills. The lead runners look very strong. Two 13 mile loops. Very good marathon. I only ran 13 and had to leave after that. I have to come back next year. I believe there is a night 50 miler in July at this location.

This is a great early spring race! The course is definitely very hilly and runs through some beautiful country. It's a small race, so no corrals, expo or any of that junk - just get out there and run. The people who put this race on obviously care a great deal about putting on an enjoyable event.

Ellerbe was one of the most peaceful and scenic marathons I've run, with lots of nature and several beautiful vistas. But the sword is double-edged. It's a loop course, all road, graced with peaceful farms and green, piney forests (the late pro wrestler Andre the Giant owned a farm here). Other than race volunteers scooting between aid stations, traffic was almost non-existent. But as beautiful as these hills are, they're a bitch to run for 26.2 miles. THE PROS: scenic; affordable; friendly; laid-back; bib pickup on race morning; chicken-and-dumplings post-race food (despite the chopped chicken bone); pottery awards. THE CONS: website had no directions to race start (had to ask directions from the Duck Dynasty guy in town); cheap medal and t-shirt; few aid stations; KILLER HILLS the second half of course. I know it's difficult to tamper with tradition, but the race organizers may want to consider reversing the direction of this race. This would eliminate the worst hills early on, and finish with a fairly flat, gentle stroll through town to the finish line (and maybe encourage the Duck Dynasty guy to get out and cheer the runners). Maybe they like the grueling nature of this run. But you can still have grueling without exhaustion and dehydration. Nonetheless, I recommend this quaint little race. It's a nice alternative to the pompous, expensive city marathons so prevalent nowadays.

The Magnum Track Club does a superb job organizing the race. This is a quaint race with charming simplicity. No chips, not crowded and you can sign up the night before the race (i did). The course is accurately described as hilly with 1,750 feet of elevation gain (per my gps). The course is exceptionally well marked and despite being on open roads is very safe. About 15 cars passed during the race. Despite the cold and rain the committed volunteers were in full force at each aid station. If you are looking for a major city marathon to run with 10,000 of your closest friends this race is not for you. If you are looking for a perfectly organized race, with reasonable cost accommodations 10 miles away and the best chicken and dumplings as your post race meal THIS IS YOUR MARATHON.

I had a great time with this one. The course is difficult but beautiful and well-marked. The spectators were great...both of them. The finishers medal was HUGE and the post-race meal was delicious. Yummy chicken & dumplings!

The Magnum track club and town of Ellerbe do a wonderful job hosting the race. The course was well marked and accurately described. Per my GPS the course had 1,750 feet of elevation which made it a challenge. Despite foul weather the volunteers were great and very attentive. Post race chicken and dumplings were the icing on the cake. If you want to do a low key race with a down home feel Ellerbe is a great choice.

Sweet little town with hospitable innkeepers helping to set the tone, Ellerbe is an ideal location for a destination marathon. The course is a beautiful trek through the roads in a green pine forest. Though very hilly the air is clean and the roads are clear. The volunteers were helpful and well-organized. Very charming race by an excellent race director. I won't forget this one!

An informal, small race (around 100 runners) with grizzled veterans, Maniacs and a few newbies. Space at the Inn is limited, but staying at the Comfort Suites in Rockingham (15 minutes away) was convenient enough. Overall organization is pretty basic and straightforward. Would have liked a porta-potty or two at the start in addition to just the small restroom in the Inn to suffice for all the anxious runners. Course is not closed for the race but pretty much little to no traffic anyway. Road was marked and water/aid station were at most turning points. Really only area of 'concern' was the zig-zag through Ellerbe near the end when runners were far between. Volunteers also drove along the course checking on runners. As oft mentioned, course is a tougher road race than usual with all the hills. There is a also a bit of running on banked surfaces and slanted road shoulders. The course is a quiet rural jaunt through farml and woodland. Pottery awards for the top-3's (although I didn't win anything) was a nice personal touch as well as the chicken dumpling soup at the end.

It was my second Ellerbe Springs Marathon and again it was an unforgettable experience. "Hannibal" became one of my favorite hills. Definitely, I'm going to run this marathon again whenever I can. If you like small, rural runs, then this one is for you!

I came all the way from Cleveland, OH for this very small race, and I was not disappointed! The Good: -Gorgeous course, scenic, and if you enjoy peace and solitude on your marathon to soak in the scenery, this was tremendous -Extremely friendly organization; the race organizer and volunteers before/after the race and during the race were tremendous and helpful -Weather: I know you can't predict or know what it will be, but coming to North Carolina from Cleveland, where we had a blizzard 2 days before this marathon, was awesome. In Ellerbe, NC, at the finish line it was 65 without a cloud in the sky. -For such a small race, nice T-shirts and medals -Doing age group awards: this allowed me, not an elite marathoner by any means, to win something (2nd in my age group) and take home a handmade pottery mug as an age group award, which was a 1st for me and a little thrill -Having race day bib/race pack pickup!!!! I get very frustrated with other races not allowing this as an out-of-town traveler; some of us can't get out of work and try to travel to a marathon city the evening before a marathon!!! So, BRAVO to this race for allowing this! It was a major factor in my signing up for this race! -With this small of a race, there was a real fraternity feel amongst the runners, and real camaraderie and a chance to meet some very nice people -Out of 15 marathons, this one BAR NONE had the best post-race food - actual homemade food: a nice little bowl of chicken and dumplings, with biscuits, and some peach cobbler. Delicious, and way better than most of the crap I've seen at other races! I thought I'd dislike the lack of spectators, and the aid stations only every 3 miles, but in the end, I didn't mind these things at all! The Bad: -Very difficult course; out of 15 marathons across 10 states, the most difficult I've completed (especially with that nice hill right before the finish line!), although the sense of accomplishment at the end was great in this one! -Very slow posting of race results Overall, I truly enjoyed the experience!!! I'd recommend this one to anyone looking for a nice, challenging small town event! Excellent!!!

This was a great race and totally worth the trip from Kansas City, MO. The people were great, the course was challenging, and the organization was awesome. The moment I got to the marathon I was greeting by one of the 10-year vets who took me on a drive around the course. I'm glad I did so that I knew what to expect. Challenging, but great! I would recommend it to anyone.

Had a great time. The people who ran the race were exceptional and the food afterward was awesome. Thanks for a great experience.

The course certainly wasn't the easiest race I have ever run, but there was a lot of great scenery. Unless this is your first marathon, you're probably not going to get a PR. Mile 5-6 and 11-13 were tough, but other than that, just rolling hills. The stations were well-stocked and I think at good distances. People are SUPER FRIENDLY! I do recommend running it.

This was my fifth time running the Ellerbe Springs Marathon, and each time I have had the time of my life. If you want to experience "smaller is friendlier," this is the race for you. The Ellerbe Springs Marathon is truly about experiencing the joy of running. After you finish an Ellerbe Springs Marathon, you start counting down the days till the next one.

Very rural, and very hilly (as advertised), but not so severe that you can't run reasonably well if trained. Super friendly!!! Great post-race atmosphere, including cold beer and hot food. They gave out unique pottery awards for many finishers, and also great sweatshirts with the course profile on the back. There were cheap accommodations in nearby Rockingham. It says a lot that, from this small field, there are so many good comments just days after the race.

Great job to all of the MTC folks! They did it again. This marathon is a must for anyone looking for a good challenge and downhome hospitality at its best.

Small-town marathons rule! The volunteers (who also served as spectators) were great. The hilly course was well marked. Couldn't have asked for better weather.

Great race. Stayed at the inn and walked out of the inn to the start line. The weather was great, the hills are real, and the volunteers were amazing. If you like New York crowds, this might not be the race for you; but I think this race is a hundred times more enjoyable.

Every Mangum Track Club event I have run has been an amazing experience. There are a lot of hills, and some rocky pavement, but the spectators and organization are phenomenal. Great atmosphere - small race, and everyone seemed pretty friendly. Would highly recommend this race!

This was my first marathon - and I was very slow! :) Never having run a race in my life, I came alone and couldn't have done it without everyone's help! The aid station workers were extra helpful and encouraging. The EMS workers drove around giving me the thumbs up!! :) And the other marathon worker guys driving around to make sure we were all ok - they would drive beside me and talk to me. You have no idea how that got me through!! :) Everyone was SUPER - even though I was slow! Thank you!!! Crossing the finish line was more fulfilling than getting my bachelor's degree in nursing! :) Ok... maybe not quite... but pretty close!