Running and Races

If you just want to get a great start with a morning jog, or wash away the cares of the day, find good footing along the tidal zone at the water's edge, or hit the more conventional sidewalk of our multi-use paths! You can run or walk for miles between Duck and Nags Head and Roanoke Island. You can find yourself winding your way through Kitty Hawk Village, or stroll by the shops and beautiful homes along historic Highway 12 in Nags Head or down the tree lined paths of Roanoke Island. So whether you're out for exercise, need to clear your head, or trying to make the other guy eat your dust, we've got just the right spot. Oh, year, did we mention 100 miles of beach?

If a little friendly competition is your thing, the Outer Banks plays host to many great short and long races. Here are just a few:

February 14, 2009
The Outer Banks Running Club's Sweet Heart 8k run/walk and children's fun run
9 a.m. starting and finishing at Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo. Awards will be given to the top 3 male/female finishers.  A special “Sweet Heart Team” prize will be awarded to the male/female team with the lowest combined score.  Ribbons will be given to the top 5 finishers in each age group. This year the profits from the SH8k will benefit the Dare County Food Pantry at Mt. Olivet.  Participants who bring a dry/canned good to the race will receive a raffle ticket for drawings after the race. Entry forms are available at outerbanksrunningclub.org or call (252) 475-1927.

May 9, 2009
26th Annual Yuengling Nags Head Woods 5K Run
Not your typical walk down the beach, the dirt trails of the preserve weave through one of the best remaining examples of mid-Atlantic maritime forest and deciduous hardwoods. Get details at outerbankskiwanisclub.org

August 9, 2009
8th Annual OBX Sandbar 5K
The Outer Banks only 5K Beach Run/Walk is set on the wide flat sands in front of the historic 'Old Station' public bath house in Kitty Hawk. Visit outerbanksrelieffoundation.com

November 7, 2009
4th Annual Outer Banks Fun Run
A family friendly event where kids and adults can run and walk for the fun of it. Visit obxmarathon.org

November 8, 2009
4th Annual OBX Marathon and Half Marathon
The marathon starts in Kitty Hawk, providing breathtaking views of the Albemarle Sound; traverse the famous Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills; meander through the lush Nags Head Woods Maritime Forest; take you through some of our finest neighborhoods with cheering throngs; pass the largest sand dune on the East Coast at Jockey's Ridge State Park; cross the beautiful Washington-Baum Bridge; and finish on Roanoke Island near where the first English colonists landed in 1587. Visit obxmarathon.org

November 26, 2009
14th Annual Advice 5K Turkey Trot
A great warm up for your Thanksgiving Feast! Starting on Scarborough Lane in Duck with a finish line full of post race festivities! Runners and walkers of all abilities and ages are welcome. Visit active.com for additional details.

The Outer Banks Running Club, a member club of the Road Runners Club of America and USA Track & Field, offers weekly training, and racing events. If you're a beginner or a seasoned legger, come join the friendly running locals. Details at outerbanksrunningclub.org