We know that training never stops, not even in winter — but sometimes we itch for someplace new and different to stretch our legs. If you haven’t been to the trails at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, then that is the place you’re looking for.

In addition to its whitewater course and rock climbing walls, the Whitewater Center has a multitude of trails down by the Catawba River that are a great place to run and explore. Today on Running Around Charlotte, we have the Whitewater Center’s director of brand experience, Cooper Lambla, to tell us about the trails… and also about the center’s role in keep the great outdoors and important part of a growing Charlotte.

If you live in Charlotte, and especially if you have a daughter in our elementary schools, you’ve probably heard of Girls on the Run – a program that started here, and encourages girls of all athletic abilities to run for fun and fitness. But did you know there is a similar program for boys? There is — and it is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year! Congratulations to “Let Me Run,” a non-profit program to encourage boys in 4th through 8th grade to be healthy, build relationships, and live active lifestyles.

Let Me Run also started here in Charlotte, the brainchild of a Girls on the Run coach with two sons. It now has more than 50 chapters and has registered more than 30-thousand boys since 2009. The Greater Charlotte Regional Director Jay Seago joins us on Running Around Charlotte to celebrate this big milestone for the program.

Once the new year hits, many of us think about ways we can improve. Can we be better friends, better runners, better people… you name it. No matter how “good” we do things, there’s one area that most of us can probably find room for improvement— and that’s how we feed and fuel our bodies.

Exercise, sleep, and diet are arguably the three legs of the table that help us stay in balance. And you can pretty much feel it when they get out of whack. Our next guest knows a little bit about that, too. Matt Dengler of RxRD Nutrition is a registered dietician, a self-professed CrossFit addict, a former college football player, and a whole lot more. Now, he’s in the profession of making sure folks of all sorts are making the most of what they put in the tank.

Well this next one sounds fun… a race called, “Strip It to Give It.”  Okay, I’ll let you visualize that for a moment……. then tell you, it’s probably not what you’re imagining right now (unless you’ve already heard of this race).

This race, like most, involves runners stripping off articles of clothing as they go about the course… but then the clothes are collected, washed, and donated to our homeless neighbors in the Queen City. Now THERE’S an idea! And the creator of this good idea is Katie Gregory – someone who has worked with our homeless neighbors since she was a teenager.

If you search about any road race in Charlotte, one of the first listings that pops up is the one for Run Sign Up. That’s because is one of the most popular online platforms for signing up for races and race-day tracking and scoring. The company has managed more than 20-thousand races and supported more than 8-thousand non-profits in doing so — and is growing every year. Justin Ratike is here to tell us all about that they do!

Run a marathon, drink a beer? Sure! Why not!

Okay, maybe you ought to hydrate first with water, some fruit, or even your favorite sports drink. Then maybe go home and take a shower — and THEN join your friends for a beer.

NoDa Brewing is one of Charlotte’s first breweries and still one of the biggest – and also happens to be a sponsor of the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. We’ve invited Suzie Ford, NoDa’s co-founder and co-owner, to join us today on Running Around Charlotte — to inspire and motivate us with her story, and the story of how NoDa Brewing came to be.

You may have heard that Charlotte’s Got a Lot. And it does! But where did those billboards come from, and what exactly IS Charlotte’s Got a Lot? Andy Goh is here to fill us in and tell us about their connection to the Novant Heath Charlotte Marathon. And did we mention he’s a runner too?

Morning shows are the fastest-growing segment of the TV News day, and how you draw viewers in for news, traffic, and weather as they wake up, has a big effect on if they come back at other times of the day.A  few years back, Fox 46 jumped into the crowded Charlotte TV market and made a big name for themselves not only with content of their morning newscasts.. but the personalities as well. And we have two of them with us here right now on the Running Around Charlotte podcast… Page Fehling and Jason Harper of Good Day Charlotte.

Runners have a special camaraderie  – the kind you develop by sweating out the details and doing the hard training to reach your goals. Our U.S. military men and women are the same – building bonds with each other through missions that serve our country and keep our allies safe around the world. Albemarle Foundation supports our military men and women, and are showing it in a unique way during the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. The foundation is sponsoring the Half-marathon Rucking Division. It’s just one way Albemarle Foundation is “Growing the Good” at the marathon, and Sandra Holub from the foundation joins us on Running Around Charlotte to tell us more about what that means.

Casey Cline is a runner, artist, designer and coach. As a Novant Charlotte Marathon Ambassador, she motivates runners every day. Let’s get to know Casey a little better – and how all the parts of her life “Fit” together.