We are BIG fans of folks getting up, getting out, and getting active. And we’re really, REALLY big fans of folks who help them do it. That’s where our new friends Angi Klick and Sarah Hays at SheTris come in. TBH, if our friend Molly Barker says these are some folks we need to meet, we already know they’re going to be good people! Here’s why: Angi and Sarah are working to make triathlon approachable for women of all ages. None of this hardcore, shark-infested waters and lava fields stuff; but fu...
Oct 03, 2024•34 min
Have we mentioned how much we love, love, LOVE this year’s crew of Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Ambassadors? Dennis Wilson is one of the reasons why. This guy is repping at pretty much every event around town – even the less-than-exciting stuff, like plogging along East Boulevard with our pals from the Charlotte Running Club, the Charlotte Running Company, and Keep Charlotte Beautiful. (Shameless plug, but hey…) But seriously, Dennis is practically everywhere. He’s relatively new to the Char...
Sep 26, 2024•25 min
So, how might we describe our next guest? How about, “the fun, silent type?” Joshua Hanson probably isn’t the loudest guy in the bunch, but he’s sure as heck one of the most fun we’ve had on the program. Joshua played hooky from his day job as an industrial designer to talk running – and his company’s BIG team headed to this year’s Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. (Yay, Team Hoover!) He may have one of the most unusual run club streaks we’ve ever heard of. We’ll get into that, we’ll talk about ...
Sep 19, 2024•28 min
No argument here. Runners are pretty incredible people, in our opinion. It takes a certain amount of self-will, motivation – or whatever you want to call it – to get up, get out there, and log those miles every day. Or even when you don’t run every day. And while running might feel like a personal, sometimes selfish pursuit, we meet runners all the time who are making their miles meaningful by raising money and awareness for great causes. Smitta Warrier is one of those runners. We got the chance...
Sep 12, 2024•30 min
We are thrilled to welcome our dear friend Tom Perri to the Running Around Charlotte Podcast. Tom is not just an extraordinary runner but an incredible inspiration to everyone who knows him. He has run the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon ten times and has paced runners in marathons all over the world. Despite battling stage 4 prostate cancer, Tom continues to lace up, stay positive, and help people all over the world reach their running goals – and then some. Tom, welcome back to the show!
Sep 05, 2024•24 min
If you’ve been running around Charlotte at all, you’ve probably rubbed elbows with some of the 2024 Novant Health Charlotte Ambassadors. This year’s team is easily our best squad yet. Not only is the Ambassador team TWICE AS LARGE as years past, it’s also even more diverse, and with members spread far and wide around the area. Sarah Hodges is a member of this year’s Ambassador team. And we’re excited to introduce her to you all on this episode of the Running Around Charlotte podcast. Sarah, welc...
Aug 29, 2024•22 min
We're excited to kick off this episode of the Running Around Charlotte Podcast with our good friend Brian Mister! As the race director and co-founder of the Around The Crown 10K, Brian has become a guy to know in the Charlotte running community. His passion for running and commitment to fostering a welcoming environment for all participants makes Charlotte a running community that helps even more folks see and feel that they belong.
Aug 22, 2024•26 min
As you can imagine, we get a LOT of emails about the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. Folks have all kinds of questions, and lots of them are the same. Hence the term, “frequently asked questions,” right? A few months ago, we got a question we’ve NEVER gotten before. Mike Lopez emailed asking whether or not the map for this year’s event was finalized – and not for the reasons you might think. You see, Mike has a very cool and probably unusual marathon hobby. But we’ll let him tell you all about...
Aug 15, 2024•25 min
Our 2024 Novant Health Ambassador squad is bigger and arguably the best we’ve ever had. That’s no shade on previous year’s groups, at all. That’s just our excitement about this bigger, more diverse, and exciting crew that’s out there repping at EVERY event, race, and run club in the area. If you’ve not run into one of these 50 folks, you’ve probably been on some kind of extended sabbatical. Or maybe you’re one of the 100-something people who move here every day. Not to worry—you’ll see them soon...
Aug 08, 2024•24 min
Head to the start line of most any event, pop into most any running shop, or join in on more and more run clubs and you’ll see more faces, and paces, sizes, colors and shapes of runners than ever before. That’s a beautiful thing for the running community, and for runners themselves. Running has never been a more diverse universe. And there’s plenty of room to grow. People of color make up an amazing 40 percent of runners in the fast-growing 18-24 age group. That’s an exciting trend for running, ...
Aug 01, 2024•22 min
Based on the article, here's an introduction and some questions you could use for your podcast interview with Derek Lindstrom: Welcome to The Running Around Charlotte Podcast, presented by Novant Health Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. Today, we have an incredible guest who embodies the spirit of perseverance and the power of the human heart. Quite literally… Derek Lindstrom, a man who ran 114 marathons with his original heart, received a heart transplant in 2023, and now dreams of running anoth...
Jul 25, 2024•30 min
One of the MANY great things about the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon is how this event continues to give back to the community. In case you didn’t know, the event has contributed nearly half a million bucks to its beneficiary, the Novant Health Hemby Children’s hospital. One of the folks that helps us make that connection between the runners and the community and our charitable partner… is Betsy Zarzour. Betsy has been the champion, head cheerleader, and captain of Team Hemby since its start,...
Jul 18, 2024•19 min
Passionate and nuanced. Those are just two of the many adjectives the CLT Symphony Orchestra uses to describe resident conductor, Christopher Lees. We’ll add fast, quick-witted, and full of energy to the list. Chris was gracious enough to sprint from morning run club and all the way into the studio to join us on this show. Which, we’re certain was a grand departure from what we can only assume are much more high-brow interviews! All kidding aside, Chris had us cracking up. From the cheese jokes,...
Jul 11, 2024•34 min
A wild and precious life. Yeah, I think we’d all like to live one of those… Kim Kreuzman dropped that little chestnut on us close to the end of this episode, and it was well worth the wait. I’ve called her to the podium on more than one occasion, too. So yes – she’s fast, insightful, and funny, too. There’s probably no other way to describe a local real estate transaction that lands you on the main drag of Christmastown, USA other than “funny.” We had a blast with her, for sure. Kim is one of ou...
Jul 04, 2024•22 min
It’s totally fair to say that the CLT running community is full of characters. Our guest today certainly fits into that category. And, quite frankly, we can’t believe it’s been this long before we invited Paul Martino to the program. A longtime runner, a 50 states and DC finisher, and former executive director of the Let Me Run program, Paul has been a recurring character, if you will, in the CLT running scene. Paul’s done his own share of running, too, and he has a pretty special milestone on t...
Jun 27, 2024•35 min
The idea of running as fast or as far as you can without stopping is often enough to keep some folks from ever starting. But getting into running – and actually getting better at it – doesn’t have to be “all gas, no brakes.” (That’s brakes as in BRAKES.) Our friend Kristin Smith wants everyone to know how walking breaks have made her a better, healthier runner. Not only is she improving her finish times, she’s having a GREAT time doing it. And, she’s found the running community that’s just as fu...
Jun 20, 2024•27 min
Jun 13, 2024•35 min
No runner’s journey is the same. For some of us, building up to a couple of miles is the most we’ll ever want to do. For others, it may be to see how fast or far our legs can take us. For others still, it’s a particular event or distance that serves as our goal. Or… somewhere in between. Either way, we may never know how far running can take us. Rebecca Green made quick work of finding out how far she was willing to go. In a year, she went from “new runner” to “ultra runner.” And she didn’t let ...
Jun 06, 2024•27 min
Yeah, this show is called The Running Around Charlotte Podcast, but we’ve literally got listeners all over the world. (Apparently both of our listeners do a ton of traveling? Seriously though, it’s great to have listeners and friends and running buddies all over the place. It makes running in a new place that much better when you’re with someone who knows the area, knows the best routes — and knows where all the secret bathroom stops are located. Just in case. Erin Vinson is THAT kind of person....
May 30, 2024•21 min
Ever heard of a “backyard ultra?” It’s actually a real thing. It’s not a forever-long session of chores in the lawn, but an actual event format. It’s kind of like a “last one standing” race, where competitors must consecutively run the distance of 4.167 miles (6.706 kilometers) in less than one hour. There’s no predetermined distance or time in a backyard ultra, so rest and fueling are also a big part of the game. On this episode of The Running Around Charlotte Podcast, presented by Novant Healt...
May 23, 2024•21 min
If you’ve been running around Charlotte at all – and particularly at events in and around town – you’ve probably run into some of our Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Ambassadors. They’re you’re ticket to discounts on events all year long, of course, and there’s more to it than that. They want you make you welcome to the greater running community. The program’s been such a bonus, we’ve DOUBLED the ranks for 2024. Lindsey McGee is leading up the progam for us this year… and she’s our guest on thi...
May 16, 2024•29 min
Our next guest on The Running Around Charlotte Podcast says she has lived – and continues to live – a big, unapologetic life. Wow! Wouldn’t we all love to say the same. She’s an author, speaker, motivator, LISTENER, new grandmother, and more. She’s an activist, a firebrand – in the best sense of the word, and a beautiful friend. And she’s also the founder of Girls on the Run. I am over the moon to welcome Molly Barker to the Running Around Charlotte Podcast!
May 09, 2024•43 min
One of the most exciting things happening in running these days is that we see more and more diversity in the sport. And that’s a beautiful thing. Look around at the starting line of an event… take a run on a local greenway… and you’ll see more and more people that look like the melting pot that is our community. And, more and more of these under-represented runners are showing their peers that they, too, have a place in the larger running community. Our next guest on The Running Around Charlott...
May 02, 2024•20 min
We talk a lot here on the program about giving your miles meaning – and we talk to a LOT of runners who do just that. Jimmy Coleman is one of those runners. He tackled a 50-mile route that took him to five Catholic churches here in Charlotte for what he described as his “Adoration Ultra.” He said in one interview that he’d been looking for a way to fuse his faith and his fitness journey… and if you ask us, he seems to have found a way. Jimmy, welcome to the Running Around Charlotte Podcast!...
Apr 25, 2024•25 min
One of the MANY things we love about running around Charlotte, is that you don’t have to look too far to find someone who’ll join you. There seems to be a run club or meet-up every day of the week, in most any part of town! We’re happy to introduce you to a new-to-us running club called, Charlotte Runners United. Their first run together was just over a year ago, and they’re still at it! Phill Reed is the name and face you’ll see often on the Club’s Instagram. And he’s our guest today on The Run...
Apr 18, 2024•23 min
One of the things we LOVE about running around Charlotte is how clean the city is. Bring someone in from out of town, and it’s generally one of the things they notice. That, and how many people seem to be running in this town… But with more than 100 people moving here every day, that means a little more trash every day, too. And it starts to add up. Runners being runners, you know we’re going to figure out a way to fix that – and get a couple of miles in along the way. Rebeca Ehrnrooth is our gu...
Apr 11, 2024•18 min
As we’ve said before on the program, for every runner joining us at the start of the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon… there’s a backstory they carry along with them. Our guest today on The Running Around Charlotte Podcast is one of those runners -- and he has one of those stories. Jeffrey Hudnall told us he got into running because he wanted to be better tomorrow than he is today. And once you hear the rest of his story, we think you’ll agree—he really is!
Apr 04, 2024•23 min
As we have said many times on this program, for every one of the THOUSANDS who run with us at the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon… there are thousands of reasons “why.” Taylor Christie is one of the runners who shared their “why” with us, and graciously agreed to share that story with us here on the Running Around Charlotte Podcast. Taylor and Taylor, thanks for being on the program!
Mar 28, 2024•22 min
Our next guest on the Running Around Charlotte Podcast is a name some OG Charlotte runners may remember. Quite honestly, we’re surprised we’re just now getting him on the program! Jay Holder is the Executive Director of Running USA—a relatively new role for him. He’s the former VP of the Atlanta Track Club, a former professional journalist, and collegiate runner. And, another item he can add to that LinedIn profile: guest on the Running Around Charlotte Podcast! Jay welcome to the show!
Mar 21, 2024•26 min
Maybe you’ve seen our next guest running around Charlotte… if you have, she was probably a blur, anyway. Stephanie “Pezz” Pezzullo is fast. Like, Olympic Trials fast. And she wants to help you be fast, too. But that’s just part of the Pezz story. There’s running, there’s family trauma, there’s a dog – and more running. Stephanie, welcome to the Running Around Charlotte Podcast!
Mar 14, 2024•31 min
