Your Countdown:  5 days

Dear 2026 Veradigm Tobacco Road Marathon and VHB Half Marathon Runners,

On behalf of the all‑volunteer TRM Board of Directors, it is my honor to welcome you—and your families and friends—to the 16th Annual Tobacco Road Marathon in Cary, North Carolina.

By now, you’ve put in the miles, the discipline, and the dedication. Race day is almost here, and I hope you’re feeling both prepared and excited. Whatever your personal goal may be, I truly hope you achieve it. Please listen to your body, trust your training plan, and reach out to any of our EMS staff if you feel unwell at any point. Most importantly, enjoy the experience. When you cross that finish line on Sunday, you’ll join the small percentage of people in the world who have completed a full or half marathon so enjoy the feeling of accomplishment!

Don’t forget to ring the bell at the finish line if you have a personal best time, a Boston Qualifying time or just feel really great about what you just did--go ahead and ring the bell!  Also, if you have a Boston Qualifying time, bring your timing slip to the BQ shirt table under the big tent to pick up your Boston Qualifier T-Shirt, you earned it.

We also will have several TRM race banners in the finish area available for photos with your family and friends, so be sure to capture the moment and share your accomplishment.

I look forward to seeing you at the Pre‑Race Expo at the USA Baseball Training Center, part of the complex where our Race Village is located. I’ll be at the Expo on both Friday and Saturday to answer any questions you may have, and on Sunday I’ll be at the Start/Finish offering my congratulations to all.

Important Information: NetApp has generously opened their parking lot for race-day use, helping ease the TRM’s limited on-site parking. If you choose to park there and take the shuttle to the starting line, please be respectful of their property. Use the porta‑potties and trash receptacles provided, and avoid leaving any trash or discarded items in the lot.  When you park at NetApp, take note of the section—A, B, or C—where your vehicle is located. This simple step will make it much easier to find your car after the race, especially when your legs may be feeling the miles.

Lastly, I want to extend heartfelt thanks to our many sponsors, dedicated volunteers, law enforcement officers, medical team, and the TRM Board of Directors.  Without their hard work and commitment, this race would not happen.

Thank you, runners, for supporting this race, which is so near and dear to my heart. Wishing each of you a safe, strong, and memorable race experience.

Sincerely,
Kazem Yahyapour
TRM President and Race Director
 

Runner's Guide

For all of your remaining questions, please start with our Runner's Guide or our website.  In particular, please check our FAQs.  For any questions that remain, please visit us at the Pre-Race Expo on Friday, March 13, and Saturday, March 14.  You may also ask via email info@tobaccoroadmarathon.com , but at this point, we may not be able to answer all questions.  We will prioritize answering emailed questions that are not answered in those other resources, so please check them first.

About Your Registration

• Your Name:  {FirstName} {LastName}
• Your Email:  {Email}
• Event Distance:  {EventCategory}
• Date of Birth:  {dob}
• Phone:  {phone}
• Address:  {address}, {city}, {state}  {zipcode}
• T-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.)
• Parking pass:  {ParkingPass_8}
  (If there is nothing after the words "Parking pass:" then you do NOT have a Parking Pass.  Parking Passes are currently sold out, but we may be able to offer a limited number at the March 13-14 Expo.)

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:  Mental Preparation and Relaxation!

The Tobacco Road Marathon Race Committee