Last Updated on September 15, 2026 by Robert Beadle. Disclosure: You must be 21 years of age or older to purchase tobacco products in the United States, both online and in-store. We don’t promote smoking. However, if you are of legal age, please make informed choices. Our products are intended for adults who understand the associated risks.
The Marathon Backwoods are back in stock at Bluegrass Tobacco, and this time we received a huge shipment! These limited-edition cigars originally rolled out in March 2026 in honor of the late Nipsey Hussle, but they haven’t been the easiest Backwoods to keep on the shelf. In fact, they sell out pretty quickly, so I wouldn’t sleep on them when they’re available. Right now, we have the traditional 8-pack boxes with 5 cigars per pack.
The Marathon stays true to the familiar Backwoods natural-leaf style, featuring a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Caribbean Basin Cuban-seed tobacco, and the rustic Backwoods appeal smokers already know. As most reviewers point out, and we agree, these mellow-bodied cigars have a smooth, aromatic, tobacco-forward profile. Speaking of reviews, though, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything negative about the Marathon Backwoods!
Limited Edition Backwoods Never Lasts Long
Backwoods has been releasing new cigars at a crazy pace since early 2025, with City Collection releases, collaborations, new flavors, and other short-run editions appearing one after another. The latest example is Philly Broad Street Sweet, which arrived after earlier City Collection releases representing LA, Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, and Detroit.
The Marathon is different from the City Collection, but its availability has followed a similar pattern. It shows up, sells quickly, gets harder to find, and then suddenly reappears. Even outside our store, current availability is inconsistent. Some tobacco retailers have The Marathon available, while others list it as backordered or in very limited supply.
That said, we’ve learned not to assume every Backwoods release will still be around a few months from now. Tical is a good example of how unpredictable the brand can be. That collaboration has lasted much longer than anyone expected, but then again, they’re part of the Tical Edition, so they’re not limited, so I guess that explains their longevity.
The Marathon Backwoods Collaboration
The Marathon isn’t just another name Backwoods placed on a box. The release is a collaboration connected to The Marathon brand associated with the late Nipsey Hussle, whose music, businesses, and Los Angeles identity made “The Marathon” much bigger than the title of his classic 2010 mixtape.
This product has also been registered under the trade name Backwoods x Marathon Collector’s Edition Cigars, with ITG Cigars listed as the manufacturer. Nipsey’s music also has a Backwoods connection that predates this cigar by more than a decade. His 2013 track “All Get Right” references Backwoods and Marathon OG, making this collaboration more personal than just pairing a cigar brand with a famous name.
The packaging also follows that same Los Angeles theme. It uses black-and-white city imagery, palm trees, checkerboard graphics, and the Backwoods x The Marathon name across the front. It looks completely different from a regular Backwoods box, giving collectors and longtime fans another reason to scoop these up today while supplies last.
Anyone who has ever read my articles about Backwoods Cigars already knows I smoke them, too! I’ve never been shy about that, and so that also includes The Marathon, which I call Nipsey’s, as in, pick me up a pack of Nipsey’s, but that’s just me, though. I honestly love this collaboration, and would like to see them come around once a year! Legends never die.
From my side of the counter, The Marathon is one of those cigars that proves demand better than any sales pitch ever could. We get them, people buy them, they become difficult to reorder, and then we wait to see whether another shipment becomes available. That’s happened enough times now that I don’t take a limited-edition Backwoods for granted anymore.
That’s also why I’m pleased to announce our latest shipment this week. So if you’ve been looking for The Marathon in your city but haven’t had any luck finding them, seek no further! We’re fully stocked and offer nationwide shipping to most states. However, keep in mind that limited Backwoods are a month-to-month, order-to-order deal. That’s part of what makes these releases interesting, but it’s also why waiting too long can mean missing them completely.
On that note, I wouldn’t sleep on them! If you see that they’re available, get as many as you can and never look back! I’ve already purchased 3 boxes myself, but don’t worry, I left more for you! I’m definitely going to smoke one or two boxes, but I also want to save at least one as a collector’s piece, which, by the way, looks good on the shelf in my office!
About Backwoods Cigars
Backwoods is an American natural-leaf cigar brand introduced in 1973 and currently produced by ITG Brands, part of the Imperial Brands portfolio. ITG identifies Backwoods as the leading natural-leaf cigar brand in the United States. All Backwoods cigars use a 100% broadleaf tobacco wrapper, which gives them their familiar rustic appearance.
The brand is known for its tapered shape, frayed end, unfinished head, and wide selection of traditional, flavored, limited-edition, and collaboration releases. Its lineup includes longtime favorites such as Sweet Aromatic, Honey Berry, Banana, Russian Cream, and Dark Stout, along with newer specialty releases that continue to expand the Backwoods selection.
