The Garmin Marathon Series returns to Durham this Spring. On May 1, 2027, thousands of runners will take to the streets, trails and stadiums of Durham in a one-of-a-kind race day experience. Read below to learn more about last year’s event and for what Durham residents should know ahead of race day.
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On May 2, 2026, Durham hosted the first Garmin Marathon Series in the Bull City. Durham was one of three locations selected to host the inaugural year of races, along with Toledo, Ohio and Tucson, Arizona. The event included a two-day race expo at CCB Plaza in Downtown Durham and a course that featured Downtown Durham, the American Tobacco Trail and the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, before runners crossed the finish line at Wallace Wade Stadium on Duke University’s campus.
Quick Facts
- 6,021 runners
- 8,000+ spectators
- Runners traveled from 47 states, 17 countries and 48 different North Carolina Counties
- Over $4 million in economic impact created for Durham, which was calculated by the Durham Sports Commission using the industry standard Tourism Economics Event Impact Calculator
Why the Garmin Marathon Series Matters for Durham
Sports Events & Tourism Association (Sports ETA) defines the economic impact of sports tourism as the net change in an economy resulting from sporting events and activities. The impact is driven by spending from visitors and businesses and the subsequent ripple effects throughout the local economy.
For an event like the Garmin Marathon Series, you have not only thousands of race participants but also their friends and families coming into Durham to support. When you look beyond the race itself, you see participants and their supporters staying in Durham hotels, eating at Durham restaurants and shopping at local Durham businesses. With the Garmin Marathon Series, you are bringing people from not only around the country but around the world to experience Durham. This economic impact provides a boost to Durham and helps our community thrive.
Beyond economic impact, having a signature Boston Qualifying marathon series in Durham provides the opportunity for local runners to participate without having to travel. It’s an opportunity for community members to come together and participate in a race that is quintessentially Durham.
What to Know for the 2027 Garmin Marathon Series
The 2027 Garmin Marathon Series will take place on Saturday, May 1.
The 2027 course will follow a similar route as 2026, taking runners through Downtown Durham, the American Tobacco Trail, Durham Bulls Athletic Park and Duke University’s campus. The event will also include a two-day race expo in the days leading up to race day.
An event of this scale comes with road closures and will affect neighborhoods along the course. As race details get finalized, we will continue to update this page with information for Durham residents to plan accordingly. We know road closures can be an inconvenience, but we encourage Durham residents to line the streets to support the thousands of runners. Because whether it’s your neighbor or someone from across the country, we want the runners to feel the support of our incredible community.
We encourage you to sign-up for the email list below to receive updates leading up to the event on road closures, race day information, registration deals and other ways to get involved.
