Tobacco Road Marathon Earns Top-10 National Ranking

Source from:  News 14 Carolina 12/30/2013

CARY, N.C. — The Tobacco Road Marathon is now well-known nationally after Runner's World magazine named it one of the top 10 marathons in the country in its January 2014 edition.

"That's what really our goal is every year: have a great race, make sure people have good fun and raise some money for charity," race founder Kazem Yahyapour said.

Organizers said the course helps many runners, like Yahyapour, qualify for the Boston Marathon.

"It's flat and it's fast, and it's the fastest course in North Carolina and we qualify 10 percent of our runners for the Boston Marathon, which is a pretty impressive statistic," marathon director Mark Dill said.

The Tobacco Road Marathon Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial assistance to its partner charities.

Since 2010, the Tobacco Road Marathon Association has raised almost $500,000 and all race proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project, American Red Cross, JDRF and Triangle Rails to Trails Conservancy.

The 2014 marathon and half-marathon is March 16.