NCR Marathon
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Event overview
The NCR Marathon and NCR Half Marathon are organized by the Baltimore Road Runners Club and will be held on November 29, 2025 in Sparks Glencoe, Maryland. The marathon distance is 26.2 miles. The event is USATF certified and the course can be used to qualify for the Boston Marathon. The marathon relay was introduced in 2003 and an 8K was added for the race’s 25th anniversary. The marathon course was recertified in 2017 and the start moved to the Oldfields School campus.
Course and logistics
Both races use an out-and-back route on the Northern Central Railroad Trail (Torrey C. Brown Trail), a nearly 20-mile rail trail with crushed gravel and dirt that runs alongside the Big Gunpowder Falls. The course has a net downhill of -151 feet and is mostly flat rail trail. Aid stations provide water and Gatorade every 3 to 3.5 miles; energy gels are supplied at miles 7, 14, 16, and 20. Timing is chip based.
Finishers receive a large sweatshirt blanket at the finish and registered runners receive a fleece hoody at packet pickup (presentation of the race bib is required to receive the blanket). Packet pickup is available Friday at Falls Road Running Store and on race morning at Oldfields. Parking is provided at a satellite lot on York Road with bus transportation to the school; limited parking at Oldfields is reserved for carpools of three or more. Medals are given to finishers and awards for overall, masters, and age-group winners are presented in the Oldfields gym. $150 is offered for a new marathon course record. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.