5 things you should know about running a road race in Charlotte
Charlotteans love to run. They can be seen everywhere, from the suburbs to uptown, or even racing the Charlotte streetcar.
One of the best motivators for runners is the road race. Although the traditional race calendar goes from the Corporate Cup half marathon in March to several turkey trots in November, Charlotte’s temperate climate allows for road races just about every weekend.
For those signing up for their first road race in Charlotte, there are few things to consider.
(1) There will be hills.
Charlotte may not seem like a hilly city when sitting in traffic on I-77 or Independence, but new road racers quickly find there’s nowhere to go but up, then down, then up again. Runners describe the courses as “rolling,” which sounds slightly better than “mountainous.”
Race directors know all the good hills. They love to design courses so runners face the steepest climb in the final leg of the race.
Just check out the climb on the elevation map for the last 5K section of Thunder Road marathon.
But hills aren’t that bad. Without the uphill portion, there’s no downhill to coast. And the rolling profile gives Charlotte its unique slogan #flatisforsissies.
(2) You probably won’t win.
The Charlotte region has some insanely talented runners, such as Alana Hadley, a teenager with a personal record of 2:38:34 in the marathon who will be part of the elite field in the New York City Marathon on Nov. 1; and Matt Elliott, profiled in Runner’s World as America’s fastest kindergarten teacher.
Though such Olympic hopefuls don’t usually toe the line at local races, that doesn’t mean the runners who aren’t featured in national magazines are pushovers.
So unless you can run a mile in 5 minutes or less, and do so for the entirety of the race course, from the 3.1-mile 5K to the 26.2-mile marathon, you aren’t going to win.
And that’s OK. You can’t let not winning keep you from racing.
(3) Your race shirt may or may not fit.
Because a spot on the podium is unlikely, runners take what they can get from their races. In most cases, it’s a pretty nifty T-shirt. However, it may or may not fit.
All those race shirts are a women’s small.
In general: If the race offers a cotton shirt, it will run small. If it’s a tech shirt, made of synthetic material that wicks away sweat, it will be more true to size.
Just don’t wear it during the event.
(4) There will be beer at the finish line.
Charlotteans love their beer — even at 8 a.m.
Thanks to a thriving local beer scene, breweries give away samples to sweaty runners after races. But even if the local breweries don’t attend, there’s usually a tub or two of Michelob Ultra at the finish line.
It’s cool just to stick with the water offered at the finish line, too.
(5) Charlotte loves its bling.
So the winners’ podium is a dream and the shirt might not fit, but there are many races that conclude with shiny bling around the runner’s neck. Sometimes that’s enough.
Runners who complete both the Rocktoberfest half marathon Oct. 17 and the Thunder Road half or full marathon Nov. 14 will receive a double medal for their efforts. That’s two races and three medals.
Not every race comes with a medal, mostly just half and full marathons and a handful of smaller distances. But for those that do, it’s a sparkly reminder of the hard work in training and the accomplishments of the race day.
Photos: Robert Lahser/Charlotte Observer; Elizabeth Foster.
This story was originally published September 21, 2015 at 1:00 AM with the headline "5 things you should know about running a road race in Charlotte."