Sat, Nov 28, 2026

NCR Marathon & Half Marathon

Sparks Glencoe, MD

Registration openAnnual since at least 2022

MarathonHalf Marathon

Entry is $121 now and rises to $141 after Sep 30, 2026, so registering before then saves $20.

About the NCR Marathon & Half Marathon

The course runs out and back along the Northern Central Railroad Trail, a crushed gravel and dirt path that follows Big Gunpowder Falls through dense woods. It is genuinely flat and fast, the kind of surface that rewards a steady pace. The start and finish are on a school campus up the hill from the trail.

The race falls around Thanksgiving, so the air is typically cold and the trees are bare. Packet pickup details and parking are posted on the Baltimore Road Runners Club site. Post-race, there is a blanket waiting at the finish line, and the crowd tends to skew toward people who have run this one before.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 results, this is a decent-sized field, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.

13.1 Miles · 2025 results

454finishers

1:16:29winner

2:09:10median

4:48:43cutoff

Top 3: John Lobo (1:16:29) · Peyton Dill (1:16:58) · Clark Ridge (1:17:21)

26.2 Miles · 2025 results

287finishers

2:34:38winner

4:11:17median

6:12:56cutoff

Top 3: Paul Hugus (2:34:38) · Michael Torres (2:44:20) · Michael Bray (2:44:21)

The NCR Marathon & Half Marathon has been held every year since at least 2022. That is as far back as RunSignup's records for this race go, so it may well be older.

Where Would You Finish?

Enter a finish time to see where it lands against the most recent 13.1 Miles results.

Median

See how your time stacks up nationally →

How we calculate these stats: RunSesh calculates these figures from the most recent published results of past editions, sourced from RunSignup. We show aggregates only: field size, winning and median times, and the cutoff. We never publish individual finisher tables. Last updated Jul 27, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

26.2 Miles11/28/2026 08:30$126

13.1 Miles11/28/2026 09:00$121

Going for a Time?

Set a goal and get a pace band: every mile split on a card sized for your phone lock screen, so race morning needs no math.

Plan Your Trip

Where to Stay

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Common Questions About the NCR Marathon & Half Marathon

Will I finish last at the NCR Marathon & Half Marathon?

Almost certainly not. Half the 13.1 Miles field finished slower than 2:09:10, and the last recorded finisher came in around 4:48:43, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the NCR Marathon & Half Marathon a good first 13.1 Miles?

A field of 454 is big enough that you will have company at your pace without feeling lost in a crowd. There is no qualifying time, and the finish-time spread above shows how varied the field really is. If it is your first 13.1 Miles, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the NCR Marathon & Half Marathon?

The 13.1 Miles winner ran 1:16:29 while the median finisher took 2:09:10. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.