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!

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

📜 Race History

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

🌲 Course Details

• Scenic Route: 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.
• Out and Back: 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.
• Historic Start: After fire destroyed the Old Sparks Elementary School, the marathon start and finish moved to mile four on the trail before relocating to the new Sparks Elementary School.

🏅 Race Features

• Relays and Events: In 2003, the marathon relay was introduced. 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.
• Runner's Race: One thing that has stayed the same: this is a runner’s race. We take pride in making the NCR Marathon and Half Marathon a first-class event.

🏆 Finisher Rewards

• 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.
• Participant Hoody: Every participant will receive a NCR hoody (unisex sizing) at packet pickup.

🔗 Additional Information

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