Cape Fear Marathon & Half, presented by Mount to Coast and hosted by Badwater® – Bald Head Island, NC 2026

AdventureCORPS® – the organizers of the iconic worldwide series of Badwater® races – are pleased to host the Cape Fear Marathon & Half Marathon on Bald Head Island, North Carolina. This is the home of fabled and legendary Cape Fear, and the home to our annual Badwater Cape Fear ultramarathon - now in its 12th year - the "(B)east Coast" counterpart to our two California-based races, Badwater Salton Sea and Badwater 135. This third edition of the Cape Fear Marathon & Half will take place on Sunday, October 18, 2026. With 26.2 and 13.1-mile race options, Cape Fear Marathon and Half Marathon presented by Mount to Coast takes place entirely on Bald Head Island and its car-free, one-lane-wide roads, plus a short but spectacular stretch on the beach around Cape Fear herself. The start line is located at Old Baldy, the oldest lighthouse in North Carolina, with an aid station nearby. Another aid station will be located at the Bald Head Island Conservancy , our local charitable partner, and a th