The inaugural Garmin Marathon Series drew more than 5,000 runners to Durham on Saturday, May 2, making it the largest first-year road race the city has hosted.
Runners from 40 states and 17 countries started at 409 Blackwell St. on the American Tobacco Campus and finished at Wallace Wade Stadium. Four races ran concurrently: a full marathon, half marathon, 10K, and 5K. The longest three started at 7 a.m., with the 5K following at 7:20 a.m. Runners had 6.5 hours to finish the marathon and 4 hours for the half marathon.
The course wound through downtown Durham, the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, and stretches of the American Tobacco Trail and Third Fork Creek Trail. About 9 miles of the route were shared by the half marathon and full marathon. Rolling closures reopened street by street as the last runner passed through each segment.
The race also served as a Boston Marathon qualifier, pushing Durham onto one of distance running's biggest stages.
"It took a collective effort from the city, the county, North Carolina Central University, Duke University and the Durham Bulls," said Marcus Manning, executive director of Durham Sports. "We're extremely excited that Garmin trusted Durham to be a host site."
Manning pointed to the economic ripple: hotels, restaurants, and small businesses all saw increased traffic over race weekend. Local wellness coach Chan Little, a Garmin Community Champion whose work centers on holistic health, said the crowd itself carried meaning.
"I get excited about races like this because it inspires others," Little said. "People see people of all shapes and sizes, colors and different demographics moving."
Runners who met qualifying standards advance to the Boston Marathon, extending Durham's presence in the sport well past the finish line at Wallace Wade.