NCR Marathon & Half Marathon

🏃‍♂️ Welcome to the NCR Marathon

Welcome to the 36th running of the NCR Marathon presented by the Baltimore Road Runners Club!

📅 Event Details

• Date: Saturday, November 29, 2025
• Location: 1500 Glencoe Rd, Sparks Glencoe, MD
• Website: NCR Marathon

🌲 About the Race

The NCR Marathon is Baltimore’s oldest continuously running USATF certified marathon held annually on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. BRRC also presented the historic Maryland Marathon dating back to 1973 before moving to the Northern Central Railroad Trail in 1990.

🏞️ The Course

• Trail: The Northern Central Railroad Trail, officially known as the Torrey C. Brown Trail, covers nearly 20 miles in Maryland, stretching from Hunt Valley to the Mason-Dixon Line.
• Scenic Route: The out and back marathon course offers a scenic wooded run on a crushed gravel and dirt trail alongside the waters of Big Gunpowder Falls—an idyllic setting to cruise 26.2 miles.
• Start Location: After fire destroyed the Old Sparks Elementary School, the marathon start and finish moved to mile four on the trail before relocating up the hill to the new Sparks Elementary School.

🥇 Race Features

• Relay Introduction: In 2003, the marathon relay was introduced.
• Anniversary Events: For the 25th anniversary, an 8K event was added to the marathon and marathon relay.
• Course Certification: In 2017, the marathon course was re-certified and its start moved to the beautiful Oldfields School campus, our host site since then.

🏆 Finisher Rewards

A lot has changed over the years, but one thing that has stayed the same: this is a runner’s race. And, as runners we take pride in continuing to make the NCR Marathon and Half Marathon a first-class event.

• Fast Course: This is a FAST course and a great fall Boston Qualifier.
• Finishers Blanket: Race finishers receive a large blanket. This isn't your average beach blanket: this will be the most coveted piece in your home. You must present your race bib to receive your blanket.
• Participant Hoodie: Every participant will receive a NCR hoody (unisex sizing) at packet pickup.

ℹ️ Additional Information

Additional information (including parking, packet pickup, etc) can be found on our website - ncrmarathon.com