Run Oak Island

Run Oak Island spreads its races across February 13-14, 2027 in Oak Island, North Carolina, as part of the BAM! Race Series. Saturday covers the shorter events, with a 10K run/walk at 7 a.m., a 5K run/walk at 8:30 a.m. and a one-mile run at 9:30 a.m. Sunday holds the long stuff: the full marathon (26.2 miles) and the East Half Marathon course (13.1 miles) both start at 6:45 a.m. The routes are flat and fast, taking in views of a lighthouse and miles of beach, and finishers receive large 3D medals and custom shirts.

A flat coastal marathon over the Presidents' Day weekend is a reasonable place to chase a Boston qualifier or a first sub-four, precisely because the terrain gives nothing away. Sixteen weeks of building with a weekly long run out to twenty miles is the standard preparation. If you would rather race twice, Saturday's 10K followed by Sunday's half is a manageable double; the marathon plus anything is not.