Ellerbe Springs Marathon

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.