Keep your summer body looking beach-ready while building endurance, promoting cardiovascular health, and having fun at these local walking and running events- we have everything from fun runs to 5k’s to 10k’s. Post-race finish lines are also a great way to meet new people that share an interest with you like- surprise- fitness. We have a little something for everyone early this summer from a bootlegger’s race with a moonshine party at the finish line to races for excellent charity causes to a “bad prom” fun run. Tune in later in the season for a late summer race update too.
Walking:
Sustain Charlotte and OrthoCarolina’s #WalkCLT initiative:
Raises awareness for the role that walking can play as transportation and the social, environmental, and economic benefits it gives you and the community. Check out Scoop’s walking tips here before you go.
FREE! But check-in to get your event wristband that will give you discounts and specials at participating business that evening. Free t-shirt for first 250 and a map including the suggested route and list of participating businesses. Blue Blaze Brewing is the endpoint with a start at Recover Brands in Freemorewest. June 1, 5-8pm, checkin 5-7pm.
Guided nature and history walks at National Trails Day:
Sponsored by The Carolina Thread Trail and held in Cramerton, June 2, 10am-2pm. Held at Goat Island Greenway and free/open to all. RSVP if you’d like to secure your spot on one of the walks here.
Charlotte Liberty Walk:
An easy way to get your nerd on while educating yourself about Charlotte history is by taking the Charlotte Liberty Walk: the ultimate interactive historical experience. The walk is a series of historical markers that string together Charlotte’s revolutionary history for a self-guided tour through uptown.
Weekly “Waggle For Your Beer” Dog Walks:
Hosted by Work For Your Beer and The Waggle Company, take your pooch on a 1.5 mile free guided walk every Wednesday at 6pm with other doggos, puppers, woofers, and floofers at:
Week 1: Sycamore Brewing
Week 2: Free Range Brewing
Week 3: Legion Brewing
Week 4: Unknown Brewing
Week 5 (if applicable): NoDa Brewing
There are also walking options at The Park Church 5k Domestic Violence Awareness Run/Walk and Strides for Shelter 5k Run/Walk (see more details below).
Running- 5k, 10k, and Fun Runs:
Carolinas CARE Bad Prom 5k : McAlpine Creek Park, June 2, 8am. no timers, no awards, no age categories just good “bad prom” fun. This run offers participants a tee shirt, medals for finishers, and selfie stations with bad prom backdrops along the route. Costumes/prom attire encouraged!
Keep Pounding 5k: Levine Cancer Institute to the Carolina Panthers practice fields (with a detour through the stadium), June 2, 8am. There is a requirement to raise $51 to honor #51 Sam Mills who lost his battle with cancer. 100% of the funds raised will go to cancer programs at Levine.
Tiger 5k: Keith Family YMCA (University City), June 2, 7:30am. Proceeds from this event support Y programs for kids and families in our area. In the spirit of this mission, there is also a 1k “Tiger Trot” for the kids to participate in the fun too.
NoDa 5k: NoDa Brewing Company (2921 N Tryon St), June 2, 6pm. One of my absolute favorites because it’s an evening run that makes that post-race beer feel a little more “right.” There will be swag, beer, live music, and food trucks as your reward at the end of your 3.1 miles. NoDa also gives you results live so no waiting for your time. How cool is that?
Carolinas CARE 5k: McAlpine Creek Greenway, June 3, 8am. A beautiful course with a deserving beneficiary, this race is a can’t miss. Free tee shirts to all running and finisher medals. This race raises funds for Carolinas CARE Partnership, a local non-profit dedicated to preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS and meeting with compassion and dignity the needs of those affected by these diseases.
Race to the Taste 5k: 4th/Tryon in Uptown, June 9, 9am during Taste of Charlotte. Runners get a race shirt, swag bag, Charlotte Checkers hockey game ticket, a post-run Corona Premier, and a Taste of Charlotte Super Coin to sample one item from The Taste of Charlotte Festival. There’s also something called a Cupcake Run/Walk which sounds like… a stomach ache. But, hey, you also will get a shirt and “multiple” cupcakes throughout the course.
Brew Dash 6k: at The Whitewater Center, June 16, 9am (competition) and 11:30am (recreational) during their Sol Fest Beer Festival. Enjoy post-race food, drinks, prizes, awards, and Sol Fest.
Bootlegger 5k: Anne Springs Close Greenway, June 16, 8:55pm. Yup, that’s 8:55pm, not AM. You’ll run through trails with hundreds of blinking lights guiding your path to an after party with food, moonshine, and music. Perfect for runners looking for something a little different and casual.
Father’s Day 5k: anywhere, anytime between June 17 and Jun 30. Do a virtual 5k with Dad on Father’s Day then reward yourself with Scoop’s top picks for spoiling your Dad here.
Strides for Shelter 5k Run/Walk: McAlpine Park, June 23, 8:30am. Sponsored by the Housing Opportunity Foundation, a non-profit branch of the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association that strives to promote affordable homeownership. Proceeds from this year’s race will benefit the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte.
The Park Church 5k Domestic Violence Awareness Run/Walk: The Park Expo and Conference Center (800 Briar Creek Road), June 30th, 8am; or virtually participate anywhere any day in June and receive a tee shirt. Offering a couples option as well as a virtual race option, there’s not reason not to participate in this fundraising race for domestic violence awareness- funds raised will benefit the Jamie Kimble Foundation for Courage and Safe Alliance.
River Jam 5k-ish/10-ish: The US National Whitewater Center, Second Thursday of each month, May-September, 6:30pm. This isn’t a run club and the USNWC will give out awards to the winners of each race as well as series winners. If you’re usually a 5k runner and want to work your way up to a 10k distance, check out our tips on preparing for a 10k here. Not usually a trail runner? That’s ok! Cut your teeth on these trails before hitting the big time at River Jam.
Don’t forget your pre-race checklist! Like running but don’t quite think races are your thing yet? Try these local run clubs for a more relaxed, untimed experience or go solo in the shade with these tree-covered routes around town. Then challenge yourself to choose a mandated race and focus on crossing the finish line rather than your time to make sure you have the best experience for your first foray into the race world. I promise it’s a lot more fun and far less scary than it may seem.
