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About RaceIndexOur methodologyData coverageCyclingTriathlon
  • 5K
  • 5 km
  • Wilmington
  • Event weekend starts
  • Open entry

Novant Health Wilmington Marathon 5K

This race edition

Race date
Date not confirmed for this distance
Race timezone
Timezone not confirmed
Edition status
Status not confirmed

Entry options

2027 edition

Entry options are not yet confirmed for this edition. Check the organiser before making plans.

Modelled energy-cost change 0.2% versus flat · net elevation 0 m

View verified GPS mapOfficial event website & entry ↗
Plan my trainingPlan my paceData current as of Source last verified

Decision summary

Novant Health Wilmington Marathon 5K at a glance

Route ascent
17 m

Lower than 91% of comparable mapped races

Typical conditions
83/100

Historical race-date favourability, not a forecast

Evidence depth
22 verified facts

Stored GPS route

Quick answers

What runners ask first

Novant Health Wilmington Marathon 5K route map

raceindex.org has a GPS course file for Novant Health Wilmington Marathon 5K, so runners can inspect the route line on the map. Elevation charts and ascent figures appear only when that file includes usable elevation data.

How hilly is the Novant Health Wilmington Marathon 5K?

The Novant Health Wilmington Marathon 5K route has 17 m of ascent, 17 m of descent and an estimated 0.2% grade-adjusted pace penalty versus a flat route.

Where does the Novant Health Wilmington Marathon 5K route go?

Underfoot, expect a beach course. The setting includes coastal and riverside.

What should runners know on race day for the Novant Health Wilmington Marathon 5K?

One lane of traffic is dedicated to runners from Wrightsville Beach to downtown (roads otherwise remain open with detours); participants are advised to arrive by 6:00am. DJ and music entertainment zone on the marathon course around mile 6.5, plus live entertainment and food at the finish festival.

Race character

Scenery

  • Coastal
  • Riverside
  • Waterfront
  • City
  • Historic
  • Lakeside

Atmosphere

  • Community
  • Competitive
  • Scenic Tour

Terrain

  • Beach

Entry, logistics and records

Records and field

Field size
Approximately 5,500 athletes across all events; the 16th annual (2026) edition sold out in early January with a 1,000+ waitlist.

Entry requirements

Entry status
Open entry: The held registration model is open entry and this edition is not marked sold out.

Race day logistics

Closed roads
One lane of traffic is dedicated to runners from Wrightsville Beach to downtown (roads otherwise remain open with detours); participants are advised to arrive by 6:00am.
Expo / packet pickup
Packet pickup at the Wilmington Convention Center on Thursday 5:00-7:00pm and Friday 12:00-7:00pm; race-morning pickup available for a $20 fee as a last resort.
Medal
Marathon, half marathon and relay finishers receive a finisher medal; 5K and Glow Run participants also receive a medal.
Finisher tee
All marathon, half marathon and relay runners receive a soft athletic-fit t-shirt manufactured by Without Limits; 5K and Glow Run participants also receive a shirt.
On-course music
DJ and music entertainment zone on the marathon course around mile 6.5, plus live entertainment and food at the finish festival.

How hilly is the Novant Health Wilmington Marathon 5K?

8%87%
  • Descent 8%
  • Flat 87%
  • Climb 6%
Total ascent
17 m
Net elevation
+0 m
GAP factor
0.2%
Longest climb
620 m at 1.4%
Gradient mix and ascent are derived from the course geometry under our published normalisation, not taken from organiser marketing.

What are typical race-day conditions?

  • 12°CTypical temperature
  • 21 kphTypical wind
  • 2 mmTypical rainfall
  • 83Favourability /100
Typical conditions for the race date and locality, warmer than the endurance-optimal window. These are climatological norms, not a forecast, and are shared across every distance at this event.

More race details

Is the Novant Health Wilmington Marathon 5K flat?

Its normalised GAP factor is 0.2% slower than a flat course, with about 17 m of total ascent.

How we calculated this

Published facts and derived model outputs on this page are tied to stored sources or a published, version-locked methodology. We show the provenance so runners, coaches and organisers can check it. Data on this page is current as of .

Derived numbers use scoring-methodology-v1.0.

Sources used on this page (3)

Read the full methodology →