The City of Oaks Marathon is one of the premier road-running events in the southeastern United States and has become a beloved annual tradition in North Carolina’s capital city. Known as “Raleigh’s Hometown Race,” the event showcases the best of Raleigh’s urban landscapes, historic neighborhoods, tree-lined streets, and scenic greenway trails. Since its founding in 2007, the race has attracted runners from across the United States seeking a well-organized fall marathon with cool weather, enthusiastic community support, and a challenging yet rewarding course. The event offers multiple distances, including a full marathon, half marathon, 10K, and 5K, making it accessible to runners of all abilities. The marathon course is a certified Boston Marathon qualifier and is particularly popular among runners pursuing a Boston qualifying time.
Raleigh is famously known as the “City of Oaks” due to the abundance of oak trees throughout the city, and the race embraces this identity by guiding participants through many of the area’s most picturesque parks, greenways, and residential districts. Runners experience a mix of road and greenway running while passing landmarks such as downtown Raleigh, North Carolina State University, and several sections of the Capital Area Greenway system. The race is well known for its rolling hills, which add a degree of difficulty compared to flatter marathon courses, but also provide scenic views and a uniquely Raleigh experience.
