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.

Every marathon needs runners, right? And nothing encourages runners in their pursuits like… other runners. Seriously, running is more fun with a buddy. That is the whole idea behind the Charlotte Running Club, now nearly 500 runners strong. Chad Champion is their president and joins us for a little Running Around Charlotte.

We all know running burns a lot of fuel, and you’ve got to feed your engine if you’re going to train for.. and run.. a marathon. We’ve all heard this before, but we could use some last-minute tips before our race just to make sure we’re on the right track, right? Well we’ve got ’em…. and we know where to buy what you need, too. Say hello to Kimberly Reynolds, of Publix Super Markets. Publix is a Novant Health Charlotte Marathon sponsor, and also a great place to load up on those foods you need to fuel your race.

No matter how fast or slow or far you run, you’re surrounded by plenty of opportunity to take in the sights and sounds of the world around you. Seasons change, the weather does, too… and even the very same route you run every day can seem all new. Some of us are better witness to this than others. Our guest here on the Running Around Charlotte Podcast is Bryan “Hojo” Hojnacki. He’s a long time Novant Health Charlotte Marathon pace team leader — and let’s just say he’s quite a collector of things, too.