Second Annual NC-USATF Endurance Magazine Championship Series Begins April 9
By Jeff Merron
The NC-USATF Endurance Magazine Championship Series will soon begin its second year. It ties eight of the top races in North Carolina, spanning the state from the beaches to the mountains and distances from the mile to the marathon, to ultimately crown the NC-USATF Endurance Magazine Runners of the Year.
The Runners of the Year, both male and female overall and male and female masters, are determined by totaling points earned in a system that gives the most points to race winners, and fewer points to second- and third-place finishers the racers. Last year’s series resulted in close finishes in all categories, with most closely contested between one shorter and one longer-distance specialist.
The series kicks off on April 9 in Chapel Hill with the Wachovia Tar Heel 10 miler. The second race follows just a day later, with the Flying Pirate Half Marathon in Nags Head.
The fourth annual Capital City Classic, a 10K race featuring a stunning course in Raleigh, is on May 7. Durham’s Running of the Bulls 8K will be on June 18. The race highlight is the finishing lap around the historic Durham Athletic Park, home of the Bulls from 1926-1994 and also the filming location for many of the baseball scenes in “Bull Durham.”
Midsummer naturally brings the Beat the Heat 5K, held in the relative cool of the early evening in Winston-Salem. This race often features elite finishing times nearly as scorching as the July temperatures.
Those partial to off-road running should mark the August 27 Continental Divide Trail Race on their calendar. The race, which takes place in Laurel Springs, also serves as the USATF National and North Carolina 10K Championship.
The final two races in the series are the shortest and longest. The Magnificent Mile, in downtown Raleigh, will be held on September 18. Less than two months later, the popular OBX Marathon, a point-to-point race that begins in Kitty Hawk and finishes in Manteo, closes out the series. The OBX Marathon, along with its companion half-marathon contest, are slated for November 13 and feature a combined prize purse of more than $25,000.
The races in the series are open to all comers, but to be eligible for the NC-USATF Endurance Magazine Runner of the Year title, NC-USATF Individual Championships, and NC-USATF Division Prize Money you must be a 2011 member of USATF and a registered member of the North Carolina division of the U.S. Track and Field organization. For more information on membership, visit http://www.ncusatf.org/.
10mile – Wachovia Tar Heel 10 Miler
April 9, 2011 7:30 AM – Chapel Hill, NC
http://www.tarheel10miler.com/
Half Marathon – The Flying Pirate Half Marathon
April 10, 2011 7:20 AM – Nags Head, NC
10K – Capital City Classic – 4rdAnnual
May 7, 2011 – Raleigh, NC
Downtown Raleigh
http://www.capitalcityclassic10k.com
8K – Running of the Bulls 8K
June 18, 2011 – Durham Central Park, Durham, NC
http://www.bullcityrunning.com
5K – Beat the Heat 5K
Date: July 16, 2011 7:00 PM
Location: WFU BB&T Field – Winston-Salem, NC
10K Trail Championships – Continental Divide Trail Race
August 27, 2011 – Men 9:00 AM & Women 10:00 AM – Laurel Springs, NC
www.continentaldividetrailrace.com
Mile – Magnificent Mile
September 18, 2011 2 PM – Raleigh, NC
Marathon – OBX Marathon
November 13, 2011 7:20 AM – Outer Banks – Kitty Hawk to Manteo, NC
North Carolina USATF – Endurance Magazine 2011 Long Distance Running Championship Series
Competitors in the Series will accumulate points* towards the title of NC-USATF –Endurance Magazine Long Distance Runner of the Year.
To be eligible for USATF awards, athletes must be a current USATF Member and a 12 month resident of North Carolina
