Outer Banks Marathon weekend returns November 6 through 8. Kill Devil Hills hosts less of it than it used to. The 13.1 and 26.2-mile races now start and finish in Manteo. What stays in town is a short, busy Saturday morning on the grounds of Wright Brothers National Memorial, with three races starting within half an hour of each other.
For anyone who lives between the Bypass and the sound, Saturday, November 7 is the town's day. It is also the first time runners will line up at the Memorial for this event since November 2024.
Two Years, Two Different Interruptions
The last two marathon weekends were cut short for two different reasons, and both shaped the footprint Kill Devil Hills has now.
In 2024, the 26.2-mile marathon was canceled because of logistical problems with a bridge closure on its route, according to OBX Things. The half marathon still ran, and it ran here. A preview from Outer Banks Sporting Events, published by the Outer Banks Voice, described a Sunday race that "starts at 7:00 am at The Wright Brothers Memorial," headed north to Kitty Hawk, ran "along the beautiful sound in Kill Devil Hills," and came back down the multipurpose path to the Memorial. The same preview projected up to 800 runners for the whole weekend. The official 2024 results list 595 half marathon participants and 459 finishers.
In 2025, nothing ran. On November 4, 2025, four days before the scheduled start, the organizer posted a cancellation notice that the Outer Banks Voice carried:
"Unfortunately, we do not have access to the necessary government officials required on site or for road closures; as well as crowd control to ensure a safe event."
The federal shutdown was the cause. That makes sense once you see where the races are held. Every 2026 start line is on National Park Service land, with Wright Brothers National Memorial on Saturday and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site on Sunday.
Here is how the town's share has changed over three years:
| Year | Saturday at the Memorial | Half marathon | Full marathon |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8K, 5K and Family Fun Run | Started and finished at the Memorial, north toward Kitty Hawk | Canceled over a bridge closure on the route |
| 2025 | Canceled | Canceled | Canceled during the federal shutdown |
| 2026 | 8K, 5K and COLOR Fun Run | Starts and finishes at Fort Raleigh in Manteo | Starts and finishes at Fort Raleigh in Manteo |
Why This Year Looks Safer
The funding problem that ended the 2025 weekend is settled for now. H.R. 6500, signed into law on September 2, 2026, funds federal agencies through December 11, 2026. The Hill also reported that the stopgap prevented a shutdown through that date. Race weekend falls about a month before the deadline.
The weather caused its own short closure this month. The National Park Service closed Wright Brothers National Memorial at noon on October 17 ahead of forecast winds and coastal impacts. It reopened at 9 a.m. on October 19, along with Fort Raleigh. The Park Service news page is the place to check if another storm comes through before November 7.
The Saturday Clock
All of Kill Devil Hills' racing fits into one morning. The official schedule staggers the three starts 15 minutes apart, all at the Memorial:
- 7:30 a.m. Surf Pediatrics Surf & Soar 8K
- 7:45 a.m. Surf Pediatrics Surf & Soar 5K
- 8:00 a.m. Surf Pediatrics Surf & Soar COLOR Fun Run
- Afterward Awards, plus the post-race breakfast and entertainment the organizer lists as race perks
Race parking is at the First Flight school complex off Colington Road and Veterans Drive. The organizer tells runners to cross at the crosswalk. If you drive Colington Road early that Saturday, expect people on foot between the school lots and the Memorial entrance from before 7:30 until the post-race breakfast ends.
Packet pickup is not in Kill Devil Hills this year. It runs Friday, November 6 from 1 to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ramada Plaza Nags Head Oceanfront. The schedule says there is no pickup on race day, so anyone running Saturday has to get their packet on Friday.
What the 8K Actually Covers
The 8K is the only Saturday race that leaves the Memorial grounds. The organizer's description says it goes around the Memorial, "over to one of the nearby neighborhoods of Kill Devil Hills," and finishes back at the Memorial. The 2026 course map breaks it into three parts:
- First loop: around the monument and the visitor center parking lot
- Second loop: out to Colington Road, over to First Street, then back
- Finish: a repeat of the first loop
The course has water stops about every 1.5 miles with GU Energy Gels at each one, and a three-hour time limit. Dogs and strollers are not allowed on the course.
The 5K stays on the Memorial and the surrounding park. It has no minimum age, and runners must keep a 20-minute-per-mile pace, which works out to a time limit of a little over an hour. Dogs and strollers are not permitted on this course either.
One note on First Street: the town is partway through its 2026-2027 Street Improvement Project on East First Street. The north-side pedestrian shoulder has been closed since September 15, and walkers will shift to a new sidewalk on the south side once it is finished. The race map just says "First St.," so anyone planning to walk over and watch should check the Town of Kill Devil Hills News Flash page the week of the race. That page is where the town posts street and beach notices.
Sunday Moves Down the Road
Sunday's TowneBank Outer Banks Marathon starts at 7 a.m. and the TowneBank Half Marathon at 7:15 a.m., both at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. The after party starts at 9:30 a.m. at The Lost Colony. The organizer's course page says the route starts at Fort Raleigh, runs through Manteo, and finishes "back at Fort Raleigh."
For Kill Devil Hills, that is the biggest change from 2024. Two years ago the half started at the Memorial and ran along the soundside here. This year, Sunday morning in town will be quiet. To watch the longer races, you'll have to drive to Roanoke Island.
Where Locals Fit In
With fewer races in town, the Saturday morning depends on a smaller crew. The 2026 volunteer signup lists Saturday jobs at Wright Brothers Memorial in three groups: event support and cleanup, course marshals, and a 5K/8K water station. The organizer also invites spectators to line the course and cheer. The 8K's turn out to Colington Road and First Street is the part of the course that passes closest to houses.
The Saturday races also tie into Sunday. Runners who sign up for the Challenge and run the half on Sunday earn what the organizer calls "extra bling." You have to register for the Challenge itself rather than for each race separately. For those runners, the weekend starts at the Memorial and ends at Fort Raleigh.
If you want to see the Memorial on a regular day that weekend, the Park Service lists hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The standard entrance pass costs $10 for visitors 16 and older, and children 15 and under get in free. It is a self-pay park that does not take cash.
We'll be keeping an eye on Colington Road on the morning of November 7, and we'd love to see neighbors at the water station or the finish line. If you're running the 8K, volunteering, or just want to talk about which parts of Kill Devil Hills are easiest to walk to the Memorial from, reach out to Cooper and Jenny at Cooper Hawk.
