NCR Marathon & Half Marathon

Event Overview

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

The 2025 NCR Trail Marathon & Half will be held on Saturday, November 29, 2025.

Race History

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

Course Evolution

• Initial Start: During the first few years, the race originated at the Old Sparks Elementary School.
• Relocation: After fire destroyed this historic school, the marathon start and finish moved to mile four on the trail before relocating up the hill to the new Sparks Elementary School.
• Relay Introduction: In 2003, the marathon relay was introduced.
• Event Expansion: For the 25th anniversary, an 8K event was added to the marathon and marathon relay.

Recent Updates

• Certification: In 2017, the marathon course was re-certified and its start moved to the beautiful Oldfields School campus, our host site since.
• Runner’s Race: A lot has changed over the years, but one thing that has stayed the same: this is a runner’s race.
• Event Commitment: 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.

Finisher Rewards

• Unique Blanket: Race finishers receive a large blanket that is warm & soft—definitely not your average beach blanket.
• Finisher Requirement: You will receive your finishers blanket after crossing the finish line. You must present your race bib to receive your blanket.
• Participant Hoody: Every participant will receive a NCR hoody (unisex sizing) at packet pickup.
• More Information: Additional information (including parking, packet pickup, etc) can be found on our website - ncrmarathon.com

Race Location

Join us at 1500 Glencoe Rd, Sparks Glencoe, MD.

Registration Link

For more details and to register, visit the official race page: NCR Marathon.