Expected Traffic Impacts for Novant Health Marathon on Feb. 28

Published on February 19, 2026

Drivers in Wilmington should expect delays as approximately 4,500 runners take part in the Novant Health Wilmington Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 5K on Saturday, Feb. 28.

The race will begin around 7 a.m. at Johnnie Mercers Pier in Wrightsville Beach and head down Eastwood Road in the opposing lane of traffic to MLK Parkway, finishing at Riverfront Park around 1:30 p.m. The full marathon will include a route toward Greenfield Lake.  

A map of the full race route can be found here.

Drivers should be aware of detours and barricades that will be in place along the race route. Delays will release from east to west. Wrightsville Beach and Eastwood Road seeing impacts until 8 a.m. MLK Parkway to northern downtown until 10 a.m. Greenfield Lake (Third Street will be completely closed at Greenfield Lake) until 12 p.m. and Front/Nutt/Hanover streets with delays and closures until 1:20 p.m.

Here’s a list of associated road and lane closures in downtown, South Front & Greenfield Lake:

• Eastbound lane Eastwood Road between Airlie Road to Market Street
• Business 17 N closed from College Road on-ramp at Gingerwood Drive to US 74 ramp/Eastwood Road
• North College Road heading southbound from MLK to Market Street ramp
• MLK from College Road to 133 Exit ramp counterflow
• Heading west on Old Castle Hayne Rd from Division Dr to Cornelius Harnett Dr
• McRae Street from Cornelis Harnett Drive to Bladen Street
• N 8^th Street from Bladen Street to Hanover Street
• Red Cross Street between Front Street & Water Street
• Northbound Nutt Street between Red Cross Street & Harnett Street
• Southbound Front Street between Brunswick Street & Dawson Street (cross streets of Grace and Brunswick open to vehicular traffic with controlled crossing by WPD)
• Northbound Front Street between Burnett Boulevard/Carolina Beach Road and Dawson Street
• Front Street on ramp to Cape Fear Memorial Bridge/westbound Hwy 74/76
• Inside lane of Lakeshore Drive from Willard Street to Elm Street – no vehicular traffic clockwise around lake

Here are estimated runner times and locations: