What kind of shape are you in this summer? The end of summer racing season is here, offering long and short tests for area runners. Two races are planned in Davidson Aug. 31-Sept. 1 – Summit Coffee’s Tacky 10K and 1 mile fun run on Friday night, and the Andrew Lovedale 5K on the Davidson College cross country trails on Saturday. Also coming up: The Lake Norman YMCA Triathlon Aug. 25, and the Davidson Lands Conservancy’s Run for Green half-marathon, 10K and 5K.
SUMMIT COFFEE TACKY 10K
Summit Coffee Co. will host the next race in its Summit Twilight Racing Series on Aug 31, the Tacky 10K and 1-mile Fun Run. The racing begins at 7 p.m. from the shop, 128 S. Main St., in downtown Davidson.
The two runs will raise money for the Charlotte chapter of Communities in Schools. This marks the third of four events in the 2012 Summit Twilight Racing Series, a collection of evening runs benefiting various local and national charitable organizations.
Once again, the post-race festival at Summit Coffee will feature beer from New Belgium Brewing Co., prizes from New Balance and much more. Asheville-based band Kovacs and the Polar Bear will headline the party, which will also include carnival-style games.
The first two races of the Summit Twilight Racing Series, the March 17 Leprechaun Loop and the June 15 Summit Solstice, both drew more than 200 runners and more than 500 people to the festival. Those races benefited Levine Children’s Hospital and Our Towns Habitat, respectively, while the fourth and final event, the Summit Twilight 5K on November 17, will benefit Movember.
The mission of Communities In Schools (CIS) is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. An affiliate of the national Communities In Schools network, CIS of Charlotte-Mecklenburg currently serves over 6,800 students annually, who are most at-risk for dropping out, through intensive case management services and supports thousands of other children with CIS school-based programming in 44 higher poverty Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools. As the nation’s leading dropout prevention organization, Communities In Schools is helping to build a stronger local community where every child is capable of reaching his or her greatest potential. Find out more at www.cischarlotte.org.
Registration for the August 31 Tacky 10K and 1-mile Fun Run is now open online at Queen City Timing and in-store at Summit Coffee, at 128 S. Main Street, Davidson. More information can be found at summitcoffee.com/racing-series.
ANDREW LOVEDALE 5K
The Second Annual Andrew Lovedale 5K will be held on Saturday, Sept. 1 on the Davidson College cross country trails. All proceeds benefit Access to Success, founded by former Davidson basketball player Andrew Lovedale to support underprivileged youth in Benin City, Nigeria, through programs based on faith, sports and education. Find out more about A2S at a2sfoundation.org.
In addition to the men’s and women’s 5K, this year’s event features an after-party at the Brickhouse Tavern in Davidson. Awards will be presented at the after-party, which will also feature a raffle, food and drink specials, and celebrity bartenders including NBA standout Stephen Curry, Davidson head men’s basketball coach Bob McKillop and associate coach Jim Fox.
The men’s race will begin on the Davidson College cross-country trail at 9 a.m., and the women’s race at 9:30 a.m. Cost is $25 for online pre-registered participants, and $30 on race day. The student rate is $20 prior to the race and $25 on race day. Pre-registered participants will receive a goody bag, which includes a dry-fit event T-shirt. Walkers are welcome.
The top overall male and female winner will receive a pair of new running shoes, courtesy of Fleet Feet Sports in Huntersville, and second and third place winners will receive a gift certificate from Adjusting the World Chiropractic. Age group winners will receive an award courtesy of Omega Sports.
“Since last year’s race, A2S has built 60 desks for our sponsored school, hired a part-time program director to run afterschool basketball programs, awarded educational scholarships and distributed athletic and educational supplies to youth in need,” A2S President Andrew Lovedale said. “None of this would have been possible without the support of Davidson College, the Davidson men’s basketball program, the town of Davidson, our sponsors and many volunteers. We are thankful and humbled by your continued support as we plan to do even more in the upcoming year.”
To register for the 5K, or to learn more about A2S, visit www.a2sfoundation.org. Contact Race Director Lauren Biggers at lauren@a2sfoundation.org with questions or concerns.
LAKE NORMAN YMCA TRIATHLON
The 2012 Lake Norman YMCA Triathlon is scheduled for August 25 and the 900 available spots are filling up quickly. Already more than 400 people from North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Florida have registered.
The event begins at 7 a.m. on the beach of the Lake Norman YMCA in Cornelius, 21300 Davidson Street, and includes a 750-meter swim, a 17-mile bike ride, and a 5K run.
All participants must be 10 years old or older and must complete the race in less than 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Registration is open online through 7 a.m. Aug. 22, and costs $75 per person or $160 per relay team. On-site registration the day of the event may be available, but is not guaranteed.
The proceeds will benefit the Lake Norman YMCA. Click here to register and for more information about the course.
RUN FOR GREEN HALF-MARATHON, 10K, 5K
The Davidson Lands Conservancy presents the Run for Green 5k, 10k, and Half Marathon to be held on Sept. 15. The traces start at 7:30 a.m. at the Village Green in downtown Davidson. From there, runners head out onto a course that winds southeast from town, along a route roughly in parallel with the South Prong of the West Branch of the Rocky River, which flows right through Davidson and Mecklenburg County. The three certified courses will be chip-timed.
Sponsored in part by Ingersoll Rand, Omega Sports, and Carolinas Healthcare, there will be cash prizes for overall winners in each distance including Masters and Grand Masters divisions. Age division winners will receive gift certificates from Omega Sports.
This race benefits the Davidson Lands Conservancy, a nonprofit land trust that works with willing landowners to save land in the Davidson, North Carolina area in order to preserve a healthy, natural environment for future generations. Choose a distance and come experience the character of Davidson’s scenic greenways and beautiful neighborhoods!
After the race the Davidson Lands Conservancy’s “Green Day” festival will kick-off on the Davidson Village Green on Main St. at Concord Road. Green Day will feature local entertainment, environmental activities for kids and a multitude of “green’ exhibitors.
This year’s festival also will include the DavidosnNews.net/CorneliusNews.net “Dash4Cache,” a geocaching competition using smartphones. Details on that event coming soon.
More info on DavidsonLands.org
RUNNING CALENDAR
Aug. 25 – 7am, Lake Norman YMCA Triathlon. Click here to register and for more information about the course
Aug. 25 – OrthoCarolina Classic 5K 10K, Charlotte – email prracemanagement@gmail.com
Sept. 1 – Andrew Lovedale 5K, Davidson College, benefits the Access to Success Foundation (A2S), founded by former Davidson basketball player Andrew Lovedale to support underprivileged youth in Benin City, Nigeria, through programs based on faith, sports and education. Details a2sfoundation.org.
Sept. 8, Historic Mooresville 5K, Mooresville
Sept. 15 – Run for Green 5K, 10K, and half marathon – Davidson Village Green, info on DavidsonLands.org
Sept. 29 – Fire 5K and Barbecue Festival, Ada Jenkins Center, Davidson. Info: http://www.adajenkins.org/events/fire/
Dec. 8 – Birkdale Village runs, Huntersville
