Bull City Race Fest: half marathon and 5K in Durham

Last checked Oct. 25, 2026. Facts come from the organizer’s Bull City Race Fest website and its 2026 athlete guide. This page is updated for each year’s race at the same address.

Bull City Race Fest, Durham’s fall half marathon and 5K, ran Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, and the 2027 date has not been announced. Results and photos are on the organizer’s results page. The details below are from the 2026 race, which started at 7:30 a.m. (half marathon) and 7:45 a.m. (5K) on Blackwell Street at the American Tobacco Campus, next to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Updated Oct. 25: the 2026 race is past; this page will carry the 2027 date when the organizer posts it. The race is run by Capstone Event Group, and its athlete guide says this year’s race “is expected to be the largest yet.”

The 2026 race at a glance

• Race day: Sunday, Oct. 18. Half marathon 7:30 a.m., 5K 7:45 a.m.
• Start line: 359 Blackwell St., American Tobacco Campus
• Packet pickup: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at 300 Blackwell St. No race-morning pickup.
• Parking: free in the American Tobacco Campus North and South decks
• Organizer: bullcityracefest.com, info@bullcityracefest.com

Race day schedule

From the organizer’s half marathon page and the athlete guide. The organizer says times can change before race day.

The athlete guide gives a time limit of 3 hours and 15 minutes for the half marathon and 1 hour and 45 minutes for the 5K. Runners still on the course when it closes must move to the sidewalk and will not get an official time. The organizer recommends arriving by 7 a.m.

New in 2026: the half marathon course is different from last year’s because of construction along the greenway, and packet pickup has moved to the American Tobacco Campus for a single day, the guide says.

Packet pickup

Every runner needs a bib before race morning. From the packet pickup page:

• When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17.
• Where: American Tobacco Campus, 300 Blackwell St.
• No race-day pickup: there is no packet pickup on Sunday, Oct. 18.
• The paid bib-mailing option closed Sept. 11, and the athlete guide says mailed bibs went out the week of Oct. 2.

Parking and drop-off

From the organizer’s parking page, parking is free on race morning in two American Tobacco Campus decks, first come, first served:

• North Deck, 305 W. Pettigrew St. About 0.2 miles from the start and, the organizer says, usually has hundreds of open spaces. This is the deck the race recommends.
• South Deck, 653 Jackie Robinson Drive. Closest to the highway exit, but it fills faster and can have a line in the morning.

From Raleigh on N.C. 147, take Exit 3B onto Jackie Robinson Drive. For the North Deck, turn right onto Roxboro Street, then left onto Pettigrew Street. If someone is dropping you off, the guide asks that it be at Blackwell Street and W. Pettigrew Street to avoid closed roads. The race also suggests ride-hailing.

Road closures

Streets on the course close Sunday morning for both races. The organizer’s road closures page has a map, and its 2026 road closure list names each stretch. They include:

• Downtown: Blackwell Street, Corcoran Street, Main Street, E. Chapel Hill Street, Morris Street and Foster Street.
• North of downtown: Washington Street, Knox Street, W. Club Boulevard, Norton Street, Watts Street, W. Trinity Avenue and W. Morgan Street.
• Trinity Park, Duke Park and Watts-Hillandale area: Buchanan Boulevard, Englewood Avenue, Carolina Avenue, Wilson Street, Alabama Avenue, Georgia Avenue, Hillandale Road, Indian Trail, Albany Street, Maryland Avenue, Sprunt Avenue and Clarendon Street.
• Southwest of downtown: W. Chapel Hill Street, Carroll Street, Morehead Avenue, W. Lakewood Avenue, Bivins Street and Arnette Avenue.

The guide says roads reopen once the permitted course time ends. The organizer’s online timeline lists the half marathon course closing at 10:45 a.m.; the athlete guide says the course for both races closes at 11:30 a.m. If you live on the route, plan to drive out early or late morning. Our road construction and closures page lists other work around the city.

What to know

From the athlete guide and the race FAQ:

• Rain or shine. The race goes ahead unless officials and police decide conditions are too dangerous.
• No strollers and no pets on the course.
• No gear check, because the parking decks are close to the start.
• Headphones are allowed but discouraged; keep the volume low enough to hear course staff.
• Water stops: six on the half marathon course and two on the 5K, with water and Gatorade.
• Post-race party in Diamond View Park next to the finish line, with a beer garden (ID required), sponsor tents and food vendors. Every finisher gets a medal.
• Refunds: entry fees are not refundable or transferable. The deferral window for 2026 closed Oct. 8.
• Team challenge: the Delta Air Lines Team Challenge scores clubs and companies; see the team page.

For more to do the same weekend, see our things to do in Durham this month guide.

Frequently asked questions

When is Bull City Race Fest 2027?

The organizer, Capstone Event Group, had not posted a 2027 date on its website when we checked Oct. 25, 2026. The 2026 race ran Sunday, Oct. 18; results and photos are on bullcityracefest.com.

Where does Bull City Race Fest start?

The start line is at 359 Blackwell St. at the American Tobacco Campus in downtown Durham. The post-race party is in Diamond View Park next to the finish line.

Where do I park for Bull City Race Fest?

Parking is free on race morning in the American Tobacco Campus North Deck, 305 W. Pettigrew St., and South Deck, 653 Jackie Robinson Drive. The organizer suggests the North Deck because the South Deck fills first.

Can I pick up my Bull City Race Fest bib on race day?

No. Packet pickup is only 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the American Tobacco Campus, 300 Blackwell St. There is no race-morning pickup.

What roads close for Bull City Race Fest?

Streets on the course close Sunday morning, including Blackwell, Corcoran and Main streets downtown, Buchanan Boulevard, W. Club Boulevard, Hillandale Road and W. Chapel Hill Street. The full list is in the organizer’s road closure PDF.