Badwater Cape Fear

Badwater Cape Fear, on Bald Head Island, North Carolina, offers 50 km and 51-mile options. The ultramarathon starts at the foot of Old Baldy Lighthouse, with a 12-mile warm-up on car-free island roads and maritime forest trails. Runners then tackle beach running between Cape Fear and Fort Fisher, with 19 miles or 38 miles on sand, featuring dramatic Atlantic views of Frying Pan Shoals and Cape Fear River marshlands.

The course is remote and lightly supported, with three aid stations and personal drop bags at the Bald Head Island Conservancy. Time limits are nine hours (50 km) and fourteen hours (51 miles), with an eight-hour split at mile 32; finishers earn a belt buckle or medal. The event benefits BHIC. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.