We just had our 12th Annual Outer Banks Marathon Weekend and it was a great one. Good participation with runners coming from all over the United State, fantastic running weather on Sunday for the marathon and half marathon and most importantly, it looks as though everyone had a great time.
Community Participation Sets OBX Marathon Apart
Something that really seems to set the Outer Banks Marathon apart from other races is the community participation—how local groups come together to support the race.
Every few miles there is a watering station, or maybe a Gatorade station—both are served—and everyone of them is staffed with volunteers.
The Outer Banks Marathon itself began as a funding initiative for the Dare Education Foundation, and it continues to fund the DEF today, although funds are now split between the DEF and the Outer Banks Relief Foundation.
One of the nicer features of the weekend—because it really is a weekend event—is how much focus is placed on families.
Saturday is given over to shorter races, a fun run and a diaper dash. Admittedly the wether did not cooperates too well on Saturday this year. Although it did not rain, it was cold and windy. The 5k and 8k races were fine, but with temperatures struggling to get out of the 40s, overcast skies and a brisk wind from the northeast, it wasn’t a good day for a diaper dash.
Sunday was a different story with near perfect conditions for a long distance race.
A number of national publications have commented on how picturesque the marathon course is, beginning in Kitty Hawk Woods and even taking a jaunt along a dirt road beneath the dense maritime forest canopy of Nags Head Woods.
The finish line on the Manteo waterfront adds to the charm of the race.
We had pretty good participation from local runners this year, with Dillon Pope from Kill Devil Hills the top local runner finishing 13th overall with a time of 3:02.
Top finishers were Blair Teal from Charlotte, NC with a winning time of 2:22:30., and Katherine Price from Beaufort who finished three seconds in front of Dillon.
