On Saturday, April 26, at 7:25 a.m., more than 6,000 runners will take to the streets of Chapel Hill for the 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. Be sure to check http://tarheel10miler.com for important race information, including where and when to park.
But don’t let your fun stop at the finish in Kenan Stadium. Sign up for the Bull City Race Fest and Food Truck Rodeo. Last year’s inaugural race was the biggest race ever in Durham! The race showcased historic, downtown Durham and the fall festival had something for everyone. Go to http://bullcityracefest.com and sign up for the half-marathon, 5 mile or 1 mile distance 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 in a world-class city.
In between these two great running events, you’ll want to cut loose and have some fun at one of the area’s many mud, fun, color, glow and obstacle-course races. In this edition, we preview the races that offer a lot more than a course to run on! If you don’t mind getting a little paint, mud or foam on your clothes, you’ll be sure to find a great fun run this summer.
For those who are a bit more adventurous, our friends at Panic Point offer another great zombie run experience with a new Olympics-inspired twist: the Zombie biathlon! That’s right, The Zombie Escape @ Panic Point has added state-of-the-art laser guns to its race so that this year, you can actually fight back against the zombies! You won’t want to miss this race! Another not-to-be-missed race is the Big Muddy Challenge, a family-friendly event for kids and parents. Be sure to read up on all the great mud, fun and obstacle-course races to find one to your liking.
If you’re like me and need just a bit more 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 brush up on the safety guidelines and laws to make sure you ride safe and sound this year. Thomas Henson covers all the basics in his cycling article this month.
Speaking of cold snaps, we offer one last hearty recipe to enjoy on one of these cool spring days: chickpea cassoulet. If you know anything about cassoulets, you know they traditionally include not just one kind of meat, but several different kinds. We gave our nutritionist and recipe writer Brandon McDearis a tall order this month when we asked him to clean up this great French dish, and boy did he deliver! You’ll definitely want to enjoy this great vegetarian cassoulet even when it does get warm outside.
Don’t forget to check out our many other articles on gear and workouts as well as our Endurance Spotlight on the back page!
