When you sign up for this one, you better be ready to run some hills and I don't mean just a few, I mean a lot! It is not an easy course but it's not impossible if you want to just add another race under your belt. This is not a race I'd attempt to PR on.

There is not a race expo just a packet pickup at a local running store, Omega Sports. Runners receive a short sleeve tech tee, by gender! There is also packet pickup the day of the race. The race starts at Friendly Center, an outdoor shopping center, so parking is abundant. You don't have to fight to find parking close to the start, there are plenty of spaces.

I was pacing the 2:30 group again this year and knew the course is a challenge to pace it correctly. The course is an out and back starting at the shopping center and making its way down one of the roads that most of us avoid ever running for the hills, Hobbs Road. We follow Hobbs out towards a newer section of the greenway that runs through our city. We The greenway is the flattest section of the whole race and a huge break from all the hills. There are several places of significant climbs and equally steep downhills.
The volunteers are awesome and helpful. The water stops are well stocked and at every two miles. Because it is an out and back, you hit several of the same stops twice. They have photographers along the course, even at the top of one of the big hills!
At the finish line, runners receive a medal for running the half marathon. The medals are unique to each city which I love they have a Race 13.1 race. There was plenty of food and chocolate milk at the finish line.

This is my 6th year running this race and it just keeps getting better and better! I took on the Double Dare Challenge where I ran the 5K on Saturday and the half on Sunday to earn that special third medal. (I wrote a post reviewing the First in Flight 5K separately, search for it on BibRave)

It's a small town race so don't expect to have a huge expo. There are a few vendors (this year's expo was a lot smaller than previous years). They do have official race merchandise for purchase which changes from year to year so I always grab something new. Each runner receives a unisex tech tee which fits on the big size for women. There are usually pirates around during the Expo hours so it really gets you into the mood for the race!

The half marathon is a point to point course starting near Kitty Hawk Elementary and ending near the middle of the Outer Banks. It is an awesome opportunity to see OBX on foot. The first 10 miles are on paved road with the last three on trail (2.5 on packed gravel/sand, last. 5 on a true trail with rocks, pine needles, and sand). There is only one point of an elevation change, the last .5 as you climb over a few big dunes towards a huge (almost scary) downhill towards the finish line.

The course is well managed by volunteers and police officers. It is a closed course so there is no concern about traffic or cars. The people of OBX love this race and come out to support the runners! It is a very festive race and people are cheering along most of the course. Water stops are well stocked, portajohns on the course, and GU at mile 9.

Runner Tip: Water stops are every 3 miles on this one. Be prepared if you're used to every 2 miles like many halfs.

A couple of highlights: Running along the water and seeing the Baum Bridge in the distant, Bay Drive where the residents come out in full force, running around the base of Wright Brothers Memorial, and the Nags Head Woods Nature Preserve (the trail section).

Every year, we've receive our awesome medals at the finish line. They change each year so it's always fun to see what they come up with! There has always been a finisher's gift too (visors, pint glasses, running hats, bags, etc.) Each runner also receives two free beers at the post race Pirate Jamboree. Located nearby, they have food (grab a egg and cheese biscuit!! so good!), music and beer tents. They have the race merchandise out there usually too in case you wanted to purchase something. It's a family friendly event and usually by the end, people are dancing! It's one of my favorite post race parties!

This is the first year for the Race 13.1 Evans event, but not the first event for the Race 13.1 Race directors. Using their success from other events, they held true to the experience for this race as well.

The race does not have an expo just a packet pickup at the local Fleet Feet store in Evans. Runners picked up their bibs, short sleeve tech tee and race day instructions.

The race started at the Evans Towne Center Park. It was a great place to hold the start/finish. Plenty of room, real bathrooms and ample parking right across the street. I was pacing the 2:15 group and checked in at the race day packet pickup to get my sign. Being the first year, this was a smaller race.

The race is an out and back from the park, running towards Augusta. We run along some main roads before jumping on a greenway that takes us to the Savannah Rapids Pavilion, where we run along the Savannah River (short packed trail surface) for just a bit before turning back and heading back to the park. The course itself was mostly downhill going out and mostly uphill coming back with one point of significant gain coming off of the river trail towards the greenway section.

The volunteers were awesome along the course. The water stops were stocked well and placed along the course at good distances. The area around river was awesome, really pretty!

Runners received a medal for completing the half marathon and photographers were at the finish line ready to snap pictures. After requesting to have something besides water and Gatorade at the finish line for all the other Race 13.1 events I've run, they finally listened and had an assortment of sodas! There were also a lot of different types of bars and snacks too.

The Tobacco Road Marathon is a well run event. There are some good and bad parts of the race and post race party for me. The race is almost entirely run along the American Tobacco Trail, a soft packed trail (not rocky) with a short distance run along paved road. The course deems itself as "flat and fast." My definition of flat is different than theirs. There are not hills along the trail section, but you are running one slow grade downhill at the start and one slow uphill grade from the turn around. I'd almost rather have some up and down hills vs one slow climb for miles. I knew it going into it, but underestimated how that will take a toll on you after awhile. The course is pretty but a bit boring. Don't sign up this one if you need crowd support to keep you motivated. There isn't much and you can be alone for several parts throughout the marathon. The course is shaped like a capital T. The only true downhill sections are at the beginning to the turn around, the a short section at the other turn around before heading back to the start. There is a downhill finish once you climb back out of the trail itself. The medals and tees are awesome!! One of the biggest medals I've earned. There were no professional pictures taken out along the course, only the finish line. So be ready to smile! My biggest complaint was the post race party. By the time our group finished, we were left with cold pizza and not much of anything else. Even the beer had been run dry. It's a post race party geared towards the half marathoners and not much was saved for those of us running the full.

Runner Tip: Buy the parking pass for $10. It puts you right at the start! Worth it and you don't have to ride the bus over to the start.

I've included the elevation profile from my Garmin.