Goodbye, Thunder Road. Hello, Charlotte Marathon

After 11 years as the Thunder Road Marathon, the city’s longest and toughest road race has a new name for 2016: the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon.

The change reflects a shift away from the auto-racing theme organizers have relied on in the past, and puts the emphasis on the community at large.

“We have always been proud to be Charlotte’s marathon, and what better way to honor our hometown race than by naming it after our great city?” said race director Tim Rhodes in a statement.

This year’s race is set for Nov. 12.

As the sport of running has boomed nationwide, the marathon here has struggled to find its footing. At its peak – in 2010 – it drew 1,411 runners (and another 3,231 to the half marathon event). But in recent years, participation in the marathon has consistently been under 1,000, and from 2014 to 2015, the total number of people who finished the 26.2-mile race dropped from 960 to 924.

For comparison’s sake, Philadelphia, Minneapolis-Saint Paul and Houston – which hosted the eighth, ninth and 10th largest marathons in the U.S. in 2016 – had 9,158, 8,579 and 7,145 finishers, respectively.

Under the Thunder Road Marathon name, the tagline was: “Start Your Engines.” The new tagline, for the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon, is: “Our Streets. Our City. Our Marathon. #runcharlotte.”

The marathon course winds through uptown Charlotte and the neighborhoods of Dilworth, Myers Park, SouthEnd, NoDa, Plaza Midwood and Elizabeth. The event also features a half marathon, a 5K run/walk, a marathon relay and a 1-mile “fun run” for kids.

“Renaming the marathon on our city’s behalf is a tremendous honor for Charlotte, our community and our region,” Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts said in a statement.

Added Tom Murray, CEO of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority: “We know events such as these are a draw not only for the residents who live here, but also for visitors looking for dynamic communities offering memorable race experiences. The visitation from the runners and their friends and family who come to cheer them on helps to create substantial economic impact for our community.”

Details: www.runcharlotte.com.

This story was originally published January 15, 2016 at 1:00 AM with the headline "Goodbye, Thunder Road. Hello, Charlotte Marathon."