Where can I find information about race day details?

Race book released closer to event - emailed to runners & linked below.

Race book 2026

Race Brief

We want to officially welcome you to the annual Mother Earth Brewing Ironclad Half Marathon and 5k! There are some great things in store for you on the third Saturday in October. The morning begins with a blast from our civil war cannon, onto a fairly flat and fast single-loop course, and finishing in historic Grainger Baseball Stadium after rounding home plate, to a custom made finisher’s medal. Age group and overall winners take home custom awards.

Friday Packet Pickup is from 5:00-9:00 pm at the Mother Earth Brewing Tap Room and beer garden located at 311 N. Herritage Street, Kinston, NC 28501. The entrance is actually located on North Street or from the back parking lot.

Saturday Packet Pickup will be from 6:15-7:30 am at Grainger Stadium located at 400 E. Grainger Ave, Kinston, NC 28502.

Start Times:

7:00 am Half Marathon runners line up - up the hill!!

7:10 am there will be a final race brief at the Half Marathon start line

7:20 am Star Spangled Banner for the Half Marathon runners

7:25 am Important Information. Due to the firing of the cannon All Half Marathon Runners have to be in place and NOT walking up to the start line. People will not be permitted to walk up to the start line between 7:25-7:30 due to safety and firing of the cannon.

7:30 am Half Marathon cannon will go off

7:35 am 5K runners line up

7:40 am 5K final race brief at the 5K start line

7:45 am Star Spangled Banner for the 5k runners

8:00 am 5k cannon will go off

Will there be shirts for runners?

Yes. Shirts will be on a terrific soft performance shirt that you will love!

What do the medals look like for the half marathon?

What do the medals look like for the 5k?

See below for our fabulous 5k finisher medals!

Where can I find course maps for the races?

2025 Half marathon route (note change due to construction.)

Half Marathon Elevation - 2025 Course

What the above elevation chart tells you:

• The course starts around 40 ft elevation.

• There’s a climb up to around 80 ft between miles 2 and 3.

• From miles 3 through 12, it stays mostly flat— small ups and downs between 60–80 ft.

• Around mile 13, there’s a final downhill dropping back close to 40 ft.

If I am unable to attend the race, can the race committee mail my race shirt, finisher’s medal, finisher’s award or bib?

We are so sorry, but we are unable to mail race shirts as well as finisher’s medals and awards because individuals must earn these by completing the course on race day within the designated amount of time. This rule helps us to keep the race affordable for runners and allow us the opportunity to maintaining our mission of donating to local nonprofits.

How do I register for the Half Marathon or 5K?

Registration for the Half Marathon can be found at https://runsignup.com/Race/Register/?raceId=33953&eventId=352627

Registration for the 5K can be found at https://runsignup.com/Race/Register/?raceId=33953&eventId=352628

What are the race start times?

The half marathon starts at 7:30 am. The 5k starts at 8:00 am.

What are the cutoff times for the races?

The half marathon cut off time is 3.5 hours. The 5k race has no cut off time, but we ask that you maintain a 20-minute pace for the first 1.5 miles.

Where and what time is packet pickup?

Packet pickup will be at the Mother Earth Brewing Tap Room on Friday night before race day from 5:00-9:00 pm and on race day at Grainger Stadium from 6:15-7:15 am.

Will there be registration available on race day?

No registration is available on race day.

Will there be a race brief available?

A race brief with details will be sent via email to all runners the week of the race. There will also be a final race brief on race day in front of the stadium at 7:15 am for the half marathon and at 7:45 am for the 5k.

What will be available at the aid stations?

Aid Stations are every 2 miles.
Station 1/mile 2 – water and Tailwinds
Station 2/mile 4 – water and Tailwinds
Station 3/mile 6 – water, Tailwinds and limited supply of GU
Station 4/mile 8 – water, Tailwinds and limited supply of GU
Station 5/mile 10 – water, Tailwinds and limited supply of GU
Station 6/mile 12 – water and Tailwinds

What are the age groups for the awards?

Overall awards are based off the cannon start. Age group awards will be based on chip time.

5k: Top 3 M overall, Top 3 F overall, Top 3 M plus top 3 F overall in age groups: 12 & under, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80 & over

Half: Top 3 M overall, Top 3 F overall, Top 3 M plus top 3 F overall in age groups: 19 & under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80 & over

Age group awards can be picked up at the awards table. No age group awards will be mailed.

Will there be photographers on the course?

Yes! We will have photographers throughout the course as well as in the stadium before and after the race. Our pictures are all FREE for the taking from our website and our Facebook page soon after race day. So get your smile on!

Can I transfer events (such as half marathon to the 5k or the 5k to the half marathon)?

Yes, however there is a deadline of October 10th and participants are asked to manage this by following this link and going to their profile in Run Sign Up:

https://help.runsignup.com/support/solutions/articles/17000062922-transfer-to-another-event

Can I defer my entry to next year’s race?