The Chapel Hill/Durham running community heads into a spring season facing the biggest schedule–the largest number of local events scheduled since Covid (2021). From mid-February through May there are nearly 50 races, about a half dozen more than last year. March (16) and April (15) are the busiest.
The races are a mix of short and long distance as well as new and long-standing charity, student and community races. Most every weekend has multiple races. There’s plenty to choose from including several Sunday races plus an array of trail runs. Tar Heel Ten Miler (and two related races) in April is probably the largest returning race.
March 7 and April 25 are the two busiest single days for local races. The Running USA calendar listed more than 1,000 N.C. races for both months. CSN compiled a preliminary race list in January but found additional races were added or shuffled to a different date every couple of days.
Nationally, many Gen Z runners (ages 20-29) have turned to running, swelling numbers to near or record levels. Their strength or impact in this market isn’t clear, but it’s certainly less.
Meanwhile, it looks like most local runners avoided Triangle and out of town races during the bitter cold weekends of January and February. Some did their training runs, while others opted out. Even the Uwharrie Mountain Run (3 trail races) in the national forest which was sold out when registration opened last faLL had a fair number of no-shows. Several area races were rescheduled due to icy conditions in January.
Raleigh’s oldest race promoter, Young & Associates (Jim Young), apparently went dark. Inquiries were not returned. They’ve been doing sports events since 1981 and helped build the N.C. Road Runners Club.
J.B.