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. 

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.

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.

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. 

Those of us who love to run, keep our eyes wide open as we take each step. We scan for hazards, watch our path, maybe enjoy some scenery along the way. Laura King Edwards of Taylor’s Tale did just the opposite — she trained for and ran Charlotte’s half-marathon blindfolded. Five years later, she did it again… this time with the added stress of a new baby, a recently-published book, and the loss of her little sister, Taylor, to Batten’s disease, a rare disorder which started her on her blind running journey five years before.

The races, the book, and her sister’s battle opened Laura’s eyes to a new purpose — to fight for recognition and research for those rare diseases that get so little money and attention.

If you’ve been to a brewery run, chances are you know his work. As loose and organic as they seem for the folks who participate… SOMEONE has to organize these things! We’re running around today with Mark Kauffman, who some say has one probably the second best beard on the local running scene. Mark—- thanks for joining us on the podcast! 

If you’ve been to a race or organized run of just about any size in the area, you’re probably seen the distinctive blue shirts of the runners and volunteers from RunningWorks. You might know that RunningWorks has something to do with giving homeless folks purpose through running. 

But the story and the mission of RunningWorks and the program goes WAY beyond that now. RunningWorks provides career development services, mental health counseling, group therapy and housing initiatives, too. And nobody knows this story better than Meredith Dolhare. She’s the founder and executive director of RunningWorks. Thanks for running around with us!

If you’re a local runner who’s active on social media, chances are you’ve see the runCLTrun brand. Maybe they’ve shared your race picture, or maybe you’ve seen their stickers or tee-shirts on people and cars. And maybe you’ve even wondered: What’s the deal? What is runCLTrun all about anyway?

Today on the podcast we’re running around with Lisa Landrum, the lady — and the runner — who’s behind this brand. Lisa, thanks for joining us!