The Old Runner

With 2,000 registered runners for the 10k and 5k races, this is one of Charlotte’s biggest race events. I ran the 10k, which is a tough course that seemed like there were a lot more hills than the 267 feet of elevation gain recorded by my Garmin would indicate. As usual, I walked early and often, and when my friend and main competition Bob Nelson passed me walking in the first mile, he asked me if everything was okay. I managed a “Fine… You know me,” as he scurried by, and for at least the first half of the race we followed our familiar pattern of him passing me as I walked up hills and me passing him back as we went down hills. I’m apparently better at running downhill than uphill. Four or five miles into the race Bob stopped passing me and when I looked back I didn’t see him. I managed to finish a minute or so ahead of him and he said afterwards he was in good shape for 4 miles but not so much for 6 (he beat me at the 4-miler on July 4th). After the race we went to check th...

This race is held as a part of the 7th Inning Stretch Festival, celebrating the American Legion World Series, which is held in Shelby every year. It’s well managed and has become one of my favorite summertime 5k’s over the last three years that I’ve run it. Race Name: 7th Inning Stretch 5k Location: Shelby, North Carolina Date: August 10, 2019 Race Rating: 87 Winners (Top 30 Overall): Overall winner Ben Kassel is a great runner with an incredible story. Three years ago he was overweight and out of shape. He dropped 110 pounds and won the first 5k he entered, and many more since then. He recently ran a 2:38 marathon as well! Read more about his amazing transformation in this  Runner’s World article . Course: Elevation per Mile: Weather at Start: Click Here for Race Results Click Here for Free Race Photos on Facebook (155 pics) Click Here for Race Website My Stats: Time: 23:40 Pace: 7:37 Age Group: 1 of 4 Overall: 17 of 153...

Nice 10k race over the dam and along the mountain roads beside Lake Lure. Lots of hills (683 feet of elevation gain) but great finish on the beach at Rumbling Bald Resort. This is the first of three races in three days in the Lake Lure Olympiad. Lots of great food after the race… plenty of homemade salads and pastries as well as ice cream sundaes! Race Name: Slam the Dam 10k Location: Lake Lure, North Carolina Date: August 9, 2019 Race Rating: 103 Winners (Top 10 Overall): Course: Elevation Per Mile: Weather at Start: Click Here for Race Results Click Here for Race Photos from Willie Lowe on Flickr Click Here for Race Website For me, one of the best perks of running races in the Rutherford Outdoor Coalition Race Series is the free professional quality photos for most races provided by Willie Lowe. My Stats: Time: 51:00 Pace: 8:12 Age Group: 1 of 4  Overall: 43 of 218 Average Heart Rate: 164 Maximum Heart Rate: 176 Age Grade Perce...

A lot of races are held at the beautiful Frank Liske Park in Concord, which is great if you don’t mind unpaved but smooth trails. I’m not a trail runner but this type of trail is not a lot different from running on roads as long as it’s not muddy. This was the 5th year of this race and they really should take a different approach for the awards. The top age group was 50-and-over and they only went 1-deep. Worse than that, the overall winners also won awards for their age groups… double dipping. Somebody please clue these people in. Race Name: NCCU Eagles Scholarship 5k Location: Concord, North Carolina Date: August 3, 2019 Race Rating: 66 Winners (Top 10 Overall): Course: Elevation: Weather at Start: Click Here for Race Results Click Here for Race Finish Video on YouTube My Stats: Time: 23:35 Pace: 7:35 Age Group (50-and-over): 2 of 14  Overall: 8 of 90 Average Heart Rate: 155 Maximum Heart Rate: 170 Age Grade Percentage: 72.44% R...

Kind of a long drive from Gastonia but worth the trip. Nice flat and fast course followed by fantastic (and cheap!) breakfast at the local drugstore. Race Name: Meet Me at the Fountain 5k Location: Forest City, NC Date: July 27, 2019 Race Rating: 91 Winners (Top 25 Overall): Course: Elevation: Weather at Start: Click Here for Race Results Click Here for Race Photos on Flickr from Willie Lowe (175 photos) Click Here for Race Website My Stats: Time: 22:58 Pace: 7:23 Age Group: 1 of 2  Overall: 14 of 159 Average Heart Rate: 156 Maximum Heart Rate: 169 Age Grade Percentage: 74.38% Lots of free photos courtesy of Willie Lowe, who does photography for most of the Rutherford Outdoor Coalition race series. RACE RATING * RACE COURSE  0 – Chip & Gun Timing: (3 points if yes) 2 – Water Stops: (0)none (2)normal (5)extras [Gu, sports drink, etc.] 1 – Course Marking: (0)bad (1)good 3 – Course Scenery: (0-5) 1=bad and 5=fantastic 1...

Forgot to put on my watch that morning and didn’t think about it until I was about 50 miles from home, so limited data for this one. Always one of my favorite races despite being a logistic nightmare, but getting there (and back) is half the fun! Race Name: The Scream! Half Marathon Location: Jonas Ridge, North Carolina Date: July 13, 2019 Race Rating: 82* *The score for this race is kind of low due to a few issues like parking, but despite the lower score it’s still well worth running and is highly recommended to anyone looking for a fast (and fun) race. Winners: My Age Group: Course: First 2 miles on rolling hills in the mountains, followed by about 9 miles of mostly downhill running on an unpaved forestry road. Elevation: About 2,400 elevation loss on the downhill makes it one of the fastest half marathons anywhere! Weather at Start: It was muggy and warm this year, but no rain. Race Results (Overall) Race Results (Age Group) Click Here for R...