On Saturday, April 20, at 7:30 a.m., 5,000 runners will take to the streets of Chapel Hill for Tar Heel 10 Miler Presented by CEP and the Fleet Feet 4+ Mile Run – the largest running event in the history of UNC and Chapel Hill. Both race courses wind through some of the most beautiful areas of Chapel Hill and end in Kenan Stadium. The Endurance Magazine team isn’t going to let the fun stop at the finish in Kenan Stadium this year. We’re busy planning another fabulous event: The Bull City Race Fest and Food Truck Rodeo. This inaugural race will showcase historic, downtown Durham on Oct. 20. This fall festival has something for the fastest runners and families alike. Choose from half-marathon, 5-mile and 1-mile distances and enjoy a crisp fall morning of running and post-race food. The Bull City Race Fest is the culmination of a world-class running experience and a world-class eating experience all in a world-class city! So, don’t forget to check out our event previews for both of these amazing events.
If a great finish in Kenan Stadium and Food Truck Rodeo isn’t enough fun for you, you’ll love the rest of our issue this month. With mud and obstacle-course races like the Warrior Dash in Charlotte, and color runs like the Great Glow Run in Wilmington, Charlotte and Raleigh, it’s getting harder and harder to run a 5k without getting a little paint on your clothes, or mud, or even foam. If you need help determining what race directors are going to (literally) throw at you – or have chase you, in the case of Zombie runs – during an event, be sure to check out our mud run section, expanded this year to include all the other fun and obstacle-themed races that may or may not have mud. Who knows? Maybe next year we’ll have to expand our guide to include other crazy races: a coffee run, for instance, or maybe a 401k. Our writer D.C. Lucchesi looks into the future of racing with his hilarious article, “What Next?”
For those who have had enough of themed events, but still want something different, it may be time to try a longer distance mud and obstacle race. If you really want to test your endurance, try one of the longer races, which can cover 10 to 12 miles and are designed with a variety of mud tunnels, 12-foot walls, barbed-wire crawls, tires, log carries, fire (and sometimes Spartans!). You’ll need to actually prepare for an event like this, so our writer Brian Diaz came up with a few things that you’ll want to work on before doing a race like the Spartan Beast. You probably already have a running plan in place, so Diaz’s article will give you some resistance-specific training to make the obstacles more manageable and make you a stronger, more balanced and injury-free participant.
Still haven’t had enough mud? Check out Joshua Steven’s awesome recap and photos from the Cyclocross World Championships in Kentucky this past winter. Despite the crescendo of doping scandals in cycling, the 10,000 spectators standing in the cold, muddy, snowy outdoors showed that we Americans still have enthusiasm for great cycling.
If you’re more like me and need a bit of sunshine and warmth to ride, don’t let the recent cold snap dampen your spirits. It will soon be time to ride in shorts and short-sleeve shirts again. So be sure to get your bike tuned up and replace those nasty old water bottles. This month, Inside-Out Sports owner Cid Cardoso, Jr., provides a great in-depth review of some new water bottles. You might not be picky when it comes to water bottles, but you’ll definitely want to read his review to find out how these bottles rate on the convenience scale and why you might like to try them out.
Another thing to try is what your mother always said you might like if you just gave it a chance: broccoli! If you already are a broccoli lover, then this month’s recipe is for you. Even if you are not a fan, you might change your mind after you try it roasted. Roasting broccoli with a few key ingredients makes for a delicious dish that’s easy to prepare. So, stop ignoring your mom: Eat your broccoli!
