Dear {FirstName}, future successful Tobacco Road finisher,

Your Countdown:  7 days

At this point just a week away, you will be celebrating your Tobacco Road accomplishment!

History

The history of the Tobacco Road Marathon dates back to planning for the first running on March 21, 2010, with over 3400 runners.  Local runners and sports fans (especially of college basketball) will know that that term "Tobacco Road" dates back many years to the rivalry between UNC, Duke, NC State, and Wake Forest (when Wake Forest was in the town of Wake Forest). ...and, especially in recent years, to the intense rivalry between UNC and Duke.  (Did "your" team win last night?)  Hear more about the history of the term "Tobacco Road" from our ABC11 partner here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCcXJQL15i0 .

Most of the race is on the American Tobacco Trail (ATT), originally part of the Norfolk Southern Railway system serving the region’s tobacco industry centered in Durham.  When the railroad was abandoned in the 1980s, the corridor was converted into a rails-to-trails greenway beginning in the late 1990s, providing a tremendous local resource for runners, walkers, cyclists, and even some equestrians.  The Triangle Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (TRTC) is a beneficiary of the Tobacco Road Marathon, so proceeds from your registration help maintain and improve this resource.

Race Morning Arrival Time

A question we are frequently asked is "The race starts at 7:00am; do I really need to target to arrive at 5:30am on race morning?"  The short answer is...YES.  And if you are parking at our remote lot and taking the shuttle, we recommend planning a 5:00am arrival there.  Please target those times.  Would an extra 15 to 30 minutes of sleep (which you probably won't be getting anyway because you will wake up many times during the night) be worth the additional stress?!?  ...when you hit traffic, when there is a line for the shuttle or the drop-off, when you forget something you wanted to bring, when you see the long-line at the porta-potties, or when you are (in the dark) trying to connect with your running friends for a pre-race photo?  The lower stress is certainly worth the earlier arrival time.

Post-Race Party

Back this year:  Downpour

No...not the rain we had last year.  We are hoping NOT to repeat that.  But our band last year AND this year is "Downpour."  Downpour is a 3 piece power trio from Johnston County, NC. Rocking the Triangle for 15 years with high energy entertainment, Downpour pours forth a relentless deluge of your favorite hits from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Rock, Southern Rock, Metal, Grunge, and more.  So come to the party tent and dance like...umm, well, try to dance after your 13.1 or 26.2 miles.  We won't pass judgment.

If you aren't into or able to dance, enjoy the fellowship of your running buddies, competitors, and supporting friends and family.  Runners can enjoy fresh sweet oranges provided by Sunkisk, chocolate milk provided by Sysco, and Pizza from Papa John's...and, our Bond Brothers Beer Garden.  Bond Brothers Beer Company, located right here in Cary (near downtown), will have their beer truck on-site to "pour" our runners with some of their most popular brews. Be sure to bring your ID if you want to enjoy the beer garden!

Target Training

About Your Registration

• Your Name:  {FirstName} {LastName}
• Your Rae Shirt:  {eventshirt}
  (If no shirt is listed, please see us at the Information/Bag Check Tent after your race to select from the shirts we have left over.)

Also:  Watch out for our t-shirt and medal reveal this week on social media!

In case you have missed any of our recent emails, check https://tobaccoroadmarathon.com/emailarchive for our runner email archive.

Your best training plan for this week:  Tapering and Sleep 
The Tobacco Road Marathon Race Committee