Bottom Dollar Food Miles Of Mooresville Race Series

It's more than a race, it's more than a couple of races, it's a whole series of races to be held this summer in downtown Mooresville, and it's called the Miles Of Mooresville.  Spread out over three evenings each session consists of a one-, two-, and three-mile race.  For $25 ($30 on race day) you can run in one, two, or all three races.

The dates of this year's Miles of Mooresville are June 18th, July 16th, and August 13th.  The first event of each evening, the one-miler, will begin at 7pm with the other races following thereafter.  For seasoned runners it's a chance to hone your speed skills, and for novice runners it's a great way to get into the groove.  If you're involved in a Couch to 5k plan then this series should fit nicely into your program.

For your entry fee you will receive a technical t-shirt, food, refreshments, music, and fun for the whole family.  Free beer for runners, and non-runners can purchase for $2 a cup.  What a deal!

Check your calendar and get out to Mooresville for some run and fun.  You can check up on the Miles of Mooresville on their Facebook page, or go to the home page, courtesy of Queen City Timing.

Boone Marathon Series

I must admit that I've been holding back on posting about the Boone Marathon Series, not because it's hard or complicated or or unpleasant anything of that kind.  On the contrary, it's a gem of a running event that I've been selfish with and have been hoarding ever since my first running of it on April 3rd.  Now that I've done it a couple of times I have to share it with you.

I can't recall exactly but I believe I found out about the Boone Marathon Series while looking for upcoming NC-based races on the internet.  As a frequenter of July's Grandfather Mountain Marathon I thought it was the only race of that distance in the area, so it was with great curiosity that I looked into the Boone Marathon Series.

In a nutshell the series consists of marathons nearly every weekend that take place on The Greenway Trail near downtown Boone, NC.  The course consists of seven laps of a 3.75-mile out-and-back on a mostly flat scenic asphalt trail.  If you aren't up for a full marathon you can run shorter, or if marathons just warm you up you can run further.  Water and good cheer is provided at the start and halfway points, and all finishers will receive a dog tag with their name and event on it.  What's all this cost?  Believe it or not, not a penny unless you want to buy a shirt commemorating the occasion.  There is NO entry fee.  If you'd like something other than water (e.g., gels, Gatorade) then bring it.

What's this, you say?  Free marathons all year 'round?  What's the catch?  Well, that's where its founder and race director Matt Jenkins comes in.  To paraphrase Matt, "I like to run a lot, but I don't like to travel too much and I don't like to spend too much money just to run.  So if anyone wants to join me I'd love to have you along."  That's it, there is no catch.  There are no medals, no trophies, and no Boston Qualifier.  Banditry is encouraged.  Keeping track of your laps and finishing time is your responsibility.

So why run all that distance for no material reward?  For someone who's new to marathoning it's a great way to get used to the distance without having the hassle of a big marathon.  For someone like me who's run a few marathons it's a terrific way in which to practice hydration and nutrition for upcoming races.  And for some people I suspect it's a way to get outside for a few hours and enjoy life.

Head up to Boone and put in a few miles for your own well-being.  I think you'll find that the intangible rewards will be greater than any medal, shirt, or trophy you'll ever get.  Oh yeah- you will probably make some new friends out there on the greenway.  I certainly have.

Chad R.
Davidson Area Running Team

P.S.  The Boone Marathon Series has spawned a few more like-minded series, including the Charlotte and Virginia Beach versions.  Check 'em out!

Races for Memorial Day Weekend

Because of the Memorial Day holiday there aren't a lot of races in the hopper this weekend, but they're good ones.

• Bare Bones 5K, Salisbury:  As its name implies, it's a stripped down race that takes place at Knox Middle School in Salisbury.  One of the flatter courses around, there is a short uphill and downhill at the halfway point and a finish on the school track.  Nice technical t-shirts for runners while they last.
• Belmont Classic 5K, Belmont:  In its sixth year, the Belmont Classic 5k is sponsored by the Belmont Police Department.  The course starts downhill, has a gradual hump in the middle, then slight incline near the finish.  In addition to the website they also have an informative Facebook page.

Have fun and be safe this weekend.  As my old running buddy Rickey used to say, I don't care how far or how fast you run, just get out there.

Chad R.

Davidson Area Running Team

Race Calendar for Saturday, May 22nd and Beyond

I'm sitting here at home with my CEP compression recovery socks on (sexy as the proverbial socks on a rooster) and looking at next Saturday's local races.  Yesterday's Wilkes CIS 8k and 5k races, along with this morning's 12-mile hill session took their toll on the old calves.

As usual there are several races from which to choose.  Mercifully due to the heat and humidity most of them are 5k races.

• Thin Mint Sprint 5K Run/Walk, Carowinds Charlotte
• 5K For Clean Air, Charlotte
• Great Harvest Bread Co. 5K, Charlotte
• On A Mission 5k Run/Walk, Concord
• River Bound Race Series 10k, Charlotte

Looking further ahead and a little further away, there will be a new set of trail races in Wilkesboro on November 13, 2010.  Titled the Overmountain Victory Trail Revolutionary Run Trail Races, it will consist of 10k and 25k races.  Wilkesboro is just a short one hour drive from the Lake Norman area.  If you're keen on trail running put this on your calendar.

Chad R. 

Davidson Area Running Team

Race Recap: ourboys 5k Run/Walk

A warm and windy day greeted the nearly 200 runners and walkers of the ourboys 5k, held this past Saturday in the Moss Creek subdivision of Concord, NC.  One of our very own DARTers, Jeff McGonnell, co-directed the event along with Chris Hawkins.  The purpose of the race, along with its accompanying raffle and car wash, was to raise awareness and funds for the Batten Disease Support and Research Association.  Two members of the Hawkins family, Brandon and Jeremy, have been diagnosed with Batten's.

Jim Crotts and I traveled together to the race from Davidson.  As my wife Laurie was out of town I decided to push our five-year-old son James in the "baby" jogger (he's tall at 4'2" and 60lbs.).  Upon arrival we were pleasantly surprised to see a few other DARTers, including Bobby Aswell and Allen Strickland.  After a few words from Jeff and Chris we all took off at a rapid pace.

As neither Jim nor I had ever run in Moss Creek we really didn't know what to expect, course-wise.  It turned out that the roads were smooth and the inclines were pretty gentle.  We all spread out quickly and it became a matter of just hanging on to the finish line.

Bobby took first place overall in 18:34 (after putting in 18:31 just a scant 13 hours prior in the Twilight 5k in Charlotte), Kevin Ballantyne second in 19:50 (19:39 in the Twilight), and Allen Strickland in 20:13 (19:46 in the Twilight).  Top three females included Susan Grewell in 21:32, Cheryl Todd in 21:44, and Steffany Ryan in 23:44.  Jim took seventh overall in 20:54 (20:31 in the Twilight) and the dynamic duo of me and James-in-the-jogger placed ninth in 21:14.

Post-race festivities included great door prizes and, which was a first for me, Cheerwine cake, which was tastier than it looked.  There were activities for the kids and a live band, all of which made for what turned out to be a nice family outing.

Best wishes to the Hawkins family and their efforts to increase awareness of and fundraising for Batten's disease, and especially to their sons.

Chad R.
Davidson Area Running Team

Kevin and Allen in the lineup.

Jim on the far left.

Co-director and ultrarunner Jeff.

Bobby after winning the race.

Me and James.

Annual Run for Miracles 5k on June 5th, 2010

Hello DARTers!  Below is a pitch for an upcoming 5k race in the Mount Mourne community of Mooresville, NC.  It's the same course as the winter's Elf Run 5k, which covers Langtree Road, so it's guaranteed to be one of the flattest around.  As it's only a mile from mi casa it's one of my favorites.

Chad R.
Davidson Area Running Team


Our race is only one month away and we need your help!  Please come out and support our 4th Annual Run for Miracles on June 5, 2010 at 8 a.m.  The race is a fast, flat course that starts and ends at the Mount Mourne Volunteer Fire Department.  We have great sponsors this year and will have refreshments, trophies 3 deep in each category, heather gray t-shirts with a new logo, everything a racer could ask for!!!!

Now all we need is YOU!  Please take a minute to register for this event.  It is family friendly and we would love to see many runners/walkers of ALL AGES!!!!  We’ve tried to make it easy to register this year – there are many ways.

1.                   Register on www.SportOften.com.
2.                   Register on www.Active.com
3.                   Stop in our office, just behind Chick-fil-a and fill out a registration.
4.                   Print the registration on our website – www.5katthelake.com and mail it in.
5.                   Even call our office at 704-662-0095 – we will be happy to take your registration and credit card information for you for no charge!

Thank you so much for your support in the past.  We hope to see you on June 5th!


Laura Chilcoat
Broker/Owner
RE/MAX at the Lake

Upcoming Race Profile: ourboys 5k in Concord, NC

Davidson-area ultrarunner Jeff McGonnell is co-directing a race this Saturday, the ourboys 5k near the Moss Creek subdivision of Concord, NC.


Below is some info regarding the race and its purpose, from Jeff.

May 8th, 8:00am
Location –
Harris Road Middle School Concord NC
1251 Patriot Plantation Blvd
Concord, NC 28027
(Off Harris Rd. next to the W.R. Odell Elementary School between Hwy 73 and Poplar Tent)

A little background on Batten Disease – the disease is a fatal, inherited disorder of the nervous system that begins in childhood. In some cases, the early signs are subtle, taking the form of personality and behavior changes, slow learning, clumsiness, and trouble with eyesight.  Eventually the disease will cause children affected to lose the ability to see, walk, talk and even swallow.  My son has 2 young friends, ages 12 and 9, with advanced forms of Battens.

Our events benefit the Batten Disease Support and Research Association, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that supports families affected by the disease as well as sponsors research to try to find a cure.  Please see http://www.bdsra.org/  for more information about Battens.

If you’d like to join us for the 5k race on May 8th please sign-up here http://www.sportoften.com/events/eventDetails.cfm?pEventId=4902.  We will have live music and games for the kids.


I'll be there along with several other local runners.  Be sure to check out the DART calendar for other upcoming races in nearby places.

Chad R.
Davidson Area Running Team

Race Recap: Davidson-Cornelius Day Care Center Town Day 5k and Family Fun Run

Yesterday's Davidson-Cornelius Day Care Center Town Day 5k and Family Fun Run went off without a hitch under puffy clouds and high humidity.  The kids' one-mile fun run kicked off at 8 a.m. and was well-attended by enthusiastic runners, as you can tell from the photo below.

At 8:30 runners lined up for the 5k race at the junction of Main St., Chairman Blake, and South St. in downtown Davidson.  After some back-and-forths between South and Walnut Streets the course worked its way to the back of The Pines and up a long section of Avinger, Pine, and Crescent.  After that it was a nice, long, and relatively flat run on Lorimer to the finish line behind CVS.

Jenny Severns of Greensboro took overall female with a time of 22 minutes flat and Cornelius-based runner Taylor Day took overall (and overall male) with a blistering time of 16:51.

DARTers included Jason Cook with a time of 18:45, Bobby Aswell with a time of 18:56, Randy Aldridge at 19:55, Chad Randolph (a.k.a., Yours Truly) at 20:22, Jim Crotts at 20:55, Todd Hartung at 21:24, and Jean Aswell at 25:48.  Full results can be found at Queen City Timing.  Thanks go to Gabrielle Craig for taking many of the photos.

And away we go!

Jason Cook, Jim Crotts, Todd Hartung, and Chad Randolph

Bobby Aswell

Randy Aldridge and Todd Hartung