New races highlight a busy fall season

Brooke Taylor, locally famous for her weight loss success, kept running through the recent heat and humidity. Brooke noted that often there is a foggy haze early in the morning and named it fogmity. She is a professional librarian and can do that.

The cooler days late this week made us runners quickly forget those hot and sticky days. Thoughts for many turn to racing, pushing the body first and then enjoying the social aspect of our sport later. Locally, we have a busy schedule and some of those prime dates are filled with brand new races. All of Rowan County’s races, including 10 on the streets of Salisbury, support various charities. With the new races come new recipients of those proceeds.

Here is the upcoming list.

• The first race, the Sunset Run 5K, is Friday, Sept. 1st. It’s a fast course, starting and finishing in front of the Salisbury library. The Sunset Run is part of a festive evening atmosphere from Friday Night Out as it benefits the United Way agencies.

• Next is the first new race, the Erwin Middle School 50th Anniversary 5K and Fun Run. Race director Allison Adams said, “The walk/run is being held in the memory of Coach Starr Forney, longtime track and softball coach. This race will kick off a series of events in the 50th anniversary celebration. Come support Erwin athletics.”

• The VA’s 4th Annual Hero 5K is next, held entirely on the VA campus. The Oct. 7th race will honor all veterans with a specific focus this year on those that served in the US Army. Race proceeds go to employee association programs. There will be special awards for those who run/walk in hero costumes.

• Oct. 14th brings another new event, the inaugural Lions Run 6K. Race director Pat Taft said, “Join Food Lion Feeds as we make strides against hunger with Food Lion’s inaugural Lions Run 6K, which will fight hunger in Salisbury and the greater Charlotte area. This year, Food Lion is celebrating 60 years as your hometown grocer, and in honor of this milestone anniversary, we will host a 6K (3.7 mile) race and a free half mile children’s fun run. Each race participant will receive a free T-shirt and a finisher’s medal. In addition, there will be an after-race celebration with food, music and fun for all! All proceeds will benefit Rowan Helping Ministries and Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina which benefits 19 counties, including Rowan.” The race location is Food Lion No. 1 on Mahaley Ave.

• The fun continues with another new event, the Gold Rush 5K, on Oct. 21st. This is historic Gold Hill’s first race and it happens on the Gold Hill rail trail. Runners and walkers will follow the same route that the narrow gauge trains used to carry gold, gold refining equipment and supplies back in the 1880s. Participants are eligible to win Gold Hill Dollars and golden railroad spikes. It’s going to be a fun morning in the village. Proceeds benefit rail trail maintenance.

• If possible, even more fun happens at the always popular Spooky Sprint 5K at Catawba College on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 29. Costumes and plenty of scary individuals are likely to get a good workout on another fast course, with most of the downhill in the second half. All proceeds benefit Rowan Rotary projects.

• Last on this list is 5K Run Walk for Clean Water at Grace Lutheran Church on Grace Church Road. Race director Pam Roseman said, “The global water crisis doesn’t always make headlines but there are billions of people globally that drink contaminated water. Part of Grace Lutheran Church’s mission is to love our neighbors boldly. To answer this call, we are hosting a 5K Run/Walk for Clean Water on Nov. 4, 2017. 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit the clean water program. On average, women in Sub-Saharan Africa walk more than three miles each day to fetch water for their families, the same distance as a 5K. The 5K course will start and finish at Grace Lutheran Church.”

More details, printable brochures and contact numbers, along with more late season races are available at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org