Laura Edwards | Taylor’s Tale

Those of us who love to run, keep our eyes wide open as we take each step. We scan for hazards, watch our path, maybe enjoy some scenery along the way. Laura King Edwards of Taylor’s Tale did just the opposite — she trained for and ran Charlotte’s half-marathon blindfolded. Five years later, she did it again… this time with the added stress of a new baby, a recently-published book, and the loss of her little sister, Taylor, to Batten’s disease, a rare disorder which started her on her blind running journey five years before.

The races, the book, and her sister’s battle opened Laura’s eyes to a new purpose — to fight for recognition and research for those rare diseases that get so little money and attention.

Mark Kauffman | Body Flight

If you’ve been to a brewery run, chances are you know his work. As loose and organic as they seem for the folks who participate… SOMEONE has to organize these things! We’re running around today with Mark Kauffman, who some say has one probably the second best beard on the local running scene. Mark—- thanks for joining us on the podcast! 

Meredith Dolhare | RunningWorks

If you’ve been to a race or organized run of just about any size in the area, you’re probably seen the distinctive blue shirts of the runners and volunteers from RunningWorks. You might know that RunningWorks has something to do with giving homeless folks purpose through running. 

But the story and the mission of RunningWorks and the program goes WAY beyond that now. RunningWorks provides career development services, mental health counseling, group therapy and housing initiatives, too. And nobody knows this story better than Meredith Dolhare. She’s the founder and executive director of RunningWorks. Thanks for running around with us!

Lisa Landrum | runCLTrun

If you’re a local runner who’s active on social media, chances are you’ve see the runCLTrun brand. Maybe they’ve shared your race picture, or maybe you’ve seen their stickers or tee-shirts on people and cars. And maybe you’ve even wondered: What’s the deal? What is runCLTrun all about anyway?

Today on the podcast we’re running around with Lisa Landrum, the lady — and the runner — who’s behind this brand. Lisa, thanks for joining us!