Running Around Charlotte

The numbers detailing America’s health can be staggering. According to the CDC, 42 percent of Americans are obese. You heard that right — 42 percent — a 12-point jump compared to 20 years ago. And the highest percentage of obesity when broken down by race is found in Black adults. Those are the kind of statistics that prompted the creation of Black Men Run — a running group espec...

If you ever needed proof about how running changes lives, just look at the nonprofit Running Works . The programs are designed to promote healthy lifestyles for our neighbors experiencing homelessness and poverty. And Running Works acts like the BEST running buddy — not only fostering relationships through running, but helping connect its team members with community resources in healthcare,...

We love our ambassadors — the guys and girls who spread the word about the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon, and train, and post about us all year. And they come from all walks of life, with the common threads of running and positivity. Joe Smith is one of those ambassadors, even though he looks more like a defensive lineman than a marathon runner. But he’s also an incredibly multi-faceted g...

One of Charlotte’s largest Thanksgiving traditions has nothing to do with pumpkin pie or stuffing – and the only turkeys you’ll see will be on people’s heads – not plates. What could we be talking about? Why the Charlotte Turkey Trot, of course. That’s right – early Thanksgiving morning, thousands of people take to the streets and run off dinner before they eat it. Joining us today is David Jessey...

Runners love a challenge – and training for a marathon is a great way to push yourself a little further than you ever have. If you’ve run one and enjoyed it, you push yourself a little more to do a PR the next time around. But we’ve got a challenge only a few hardy souls sign up for…. Running the half-marathon with a weighted backpack. You may have heard of rucking – which is basically...

We’re dedicated to making this year’s Novant Health Charlotte Marathon the best one yet! Whether you’re running virtually or in person, we’re stepping up our game after all runners have been through with postponements and cancellations in the last 18 months. That’s one reason we brought a pro on board to be our Event Experience Director. We first spoke to Alaina Williams last March on the Running...

We love our friends down at Novant Health and all of the support and guidance they give us here at the Charlotte Marathon. And we love turning over that big check to them after every race, with money we’ve earned, because we know it goes for a great cause — the Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital. There is a lot of good work going on there, and if you’ve ever had to make a hospital stay...

We all have our reasons for running — for some of us it starts with wanting to get more exercise and lose a few pounds, right? Our next guest on the Running Around Charlotte Podcast is definitely one of those folks — a Charlotte native who looked at his high school Senior photo, tipping the scales at 300 pounds — and decided to do better. For the next 16 years, Mike Cooke decided...

In just a few short weeks, our big race will be here! We couldn’t do it without a lot of help, and all of our enthusiastic friends we call Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Ambassadors. Bekah Eljoundi is one of them, though you may know her as Run Coach Bekah. She has more than 13 years of running, coaching, and personal training experience to give you the boost you need for your fitness or racing...

It’s a diagnosis that no parent ever wants to hear — your sweet, bouncy, fun-loving, child has a terminal illness and there’s no cure. But if you found out that you could have slowed the illness — maybe even kept it at bay — with a blood screen when your baby was born, your grief then might turn to anger and then to action. Today we’re talking to a Mom taking action, about a scen...

You could simply describe our next guest as a math teacher who also runs — but that would barely scratch the surface when it comes to Larry Frederick. Sure, he’s taught gifted math classes for the last 14 years, but before that, he was known to old-school Charlotte runners as the founder and owner of Run For Your Life stores (Hey, we know that place!) And before he even opened his first Char...

If you need a bit of cheer, a motivating word, or a great running route around Charlotte, ask any one of our Ambassadors. The Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Ambassadors will make you want to run through a wall — (we don’t recommend that) — or at least get you out on the road putting one foot in front of the other on days your motivation falls short. And if you want your run to be ful...

In a traditional world, it is drilled into our heads that good nutrition is a balance of all food groups, which includes protein — most often lean meat. Nothing against a good piece of grilled chicken, but our next guest on the Running Around Charlotte podcast says you don’t need to eat more chicken, or even eat meat at all! Matt Frazier is the author of No Meat Athlete, and his blogs and bo...

I hope you got a chance to watch the Olympics this year. It was a tough year for athletes — with an extra year of training — and less-than-ideal running conditions in Tokyo in July. We know YEARS of training go into getting to that level, to even qualify for Olympic Trials, so we thought you’d like some insight from someone who’s been there. Scott Dvorak is known to local runners as th...

We’re talking to another one of our amazing Novant health Charlotte Marathon! This ambassador is a runner, a banker, and dog mom! Meet Haley Heartley – and hear about everything she does when she’s NOT running!

It’s HOT outside! You might be exercising less, not drinking enough – and if you’re like us – don’t have much motivation to cook. Matt Dengler of RxRD Nutrition is here with us toay, with tips on eating (and drinking) healthy all summer long!

We’re lucky to be back with one of our Ambassadors, Arun  You may remember his AAA plan and barefoot running – let’s see what he’s up to now!

You may have seen our next guests on Instagram as ThatCLTRunningCouple. They met while running, and now chronicle their runs through the Queen City. Magan Martignango & John Carriker cheer on each other and their friends. And we’re happy to have them as our guests on Running Around Charlotte.

Our Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Ambassadors are some of the best! And while they all have running in common, they come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Today on Running Around Charlotte, we get a glimpse into the life of a pharmacist who specializes in oncology pharmacy — and even rides in the popular bike fundraiser for cancer support here in Charlotte, in addition to her running. M...

We’re blessed in our community to have a number of great colleges with sports programs, giving student-athletes a chance to excel at sports beyond the high school level. D-2 school Queens University of Charlotte is definitely one of those, with multiple sports like track & field, swimming, and lacrosse playing for, or even winning, national championships. Our next guest on Running Around Charl...

If you need a little extra motivation, go read the Instagram posts from our Ambassador C.J. Langley. He has every excuse in the book to not try as hard as he does – a busy job and a foot injury among them. But still, he runs – carefully at times – but he realizes reaching goals takes the right shoes, consistency, and no shortcuts. We’re glad he’s an Ambassador for the Novant Heal...

We know runners love the great outdoors — and our next guest on Running Around Charlotte not only runs in it, but DESIGNS outdoor spaces! Casey Cline is an artist, Landscape Architect, runner, and Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Ambassador. She’s all about beautiful spaces as she explores — and she’s here today to share her positive vibes.

What’s your idea of a nice, long run? Ten miles? 20? A marathon? Awesome. Our next guest on Running Around Charlotte, though, likes the Ultras. Chris Raulli was a member of Team USA for the 2018 World Trail Championships and other international races, and even more importantly — took 2nd at our 2018 Novant Health Charlotte Marathon! Last summer, he picked up a win at the One NY Challenge &#8...

We all know running is great exercise, but let’s be real — it feels different during every stage of our lives. Men also experience training differently from women. Any workout you do to be a better runner is not one-size-fits-all — so our guest today on Running Around Charlotte addresses some of the nuances for women runners. Wait, guys — you need to hear this too. If you’re marr...

When we think of strong, toned legs, we probably think of two types of athletes — runners, and dancers. They aren’t mutually exclusive, and our next guest on Running Around Charlotte is proof. Alessandra Ball James spent 15 seasons with the dance company at Charlotte Ballet, performing countless hours as a Sugar Plum Fairy and other incredible roles. She also runs. (It’s true!) And she’s an...