Joe Schlereth | Run For You

You’ve got under four months left to prepare for the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. What do you do? Run like heck? Or more?

We know a guy who can answer that question and many more, and he’s one of ours. Joe Schlereth runs the Run For You training program here at Run for Your Life, and is right with you on your countdown to race day. Welcome Joe!

Kevin Young | Speed for Need

A marathon is a long and grueling event for even the most experienced runners, but if you can do it, it’s well worth the effort. Have you ever thought, ‘Gosh, I’d like to share this feeling with someone who CAN’T run a marathon’? If you have, you’ll want to hear about ‘Speed for Need’ from the F3 Nation. F3 is a workout group of men who focus on Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith — those are the 3 F’s — but the goal goes beyond getting in shape. The group shapes leaders, too, and Speed for Need is one of the ways they raise awareness and foster inclusion of those with a special needs through participation in fitness events. 

Brad Stubbs | Marathon Ambassador

Do you love running? Do you love to TALK about running? Do you like to talk about running more than you like to run — or do you just love Charlotte? If you said yes to any of these questions — really, ANY of them — you could be a good Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Ambassador.

Just like the name sounds, an ambassador is someone who encourages others to get excited about running — whether it’s someone who’s run lots of marathons, or someone who is getting up the nerve to train for their first 5k. And of course, they’re go getters who love people and love bringing them together to do things.. like, say… run! We have one with us today on the Running Around Charlotte podcast — Brad Stubbs is THAT guy who is always saying “yes” to encouraging others.

Laureen Jenkins | Project Outpour

The weather is getting warmer and we’re breaking a sweat now — especially when we run — and doesn’t a nice, warm shower feel good after a hot, sweaty run? Of course it does! But for our neighbors who don’t have permanent shelter in our city, a shower is a luxury they often do without. Imagine what your day — or your week — would be like, without a shower.

Laureen Jenkins understands that showers are one thing that can bring a homeless neighbor a feeling of dignity — something they often don’t feel on the streets. And showers are hard to find. So Laureen created Project Outpour and as of May 15th, got the group’s first shower trailer up and running on the streets of Charlotte. She’ll also bring it out the the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon in November, so you can take a look.

Theoden Janes | Charlotte Observer

A lot of us would envy Theodon Janes life — he gets paid to go to big concerts and write about them, or just cover those cool, heartwarming, mostly happy stories that make us stop and click and read until we’re done. He’s the lifestyle and entertainment reporter for the Charlotte Observer, and also a runner — having recently completed the Boston Marathon as a 3-time qualifier, and has even squeezed a couple of Ironman triathlons in around his day job. And his daughter has just graduated from high school, so we suspect he’ll have time to kick training up a notch now.