Halifax Mall is located in the heart of downtown Raleigh off of the central north/south axis of the capitol building. For years it’s been the host of rallies, protests, speeches, road races and just about every other public gathering you can think of in Raleigh. It’s a massive space and overall a fairly underutilized one. Connecting the NC Legislative Building to other government buildings, the mall is surrounded by blocky, “brutalist” architecture and generous sidewalks. The lawn itself is moderately maintained and the grass often lush. No stranger to road races though, Halifax was once the backdrop for the starting line of The Greater Raleigh Road Race, beginning in 1978 at the start of the “jogging” craze.
The lawn overlooking the NC Legislative Building.
Being a large rectangular courtyard, Halifax Mall lends itself well to repeats and intervals. One lap around the lawn should get you a little less than a half a mile repeat and while you won’t have the accuracy or the gentle turns of a rubberized track you can easily get in a short downtown warm up, hit the mall for some intervals and stride it out on the lawn. It’s urban running at it’s best in downtown Raleigh. If you’ve participated in a Runologie training program chances are you’ve done a repeat or two at Halifax. It’s one of our favorites.
Inspiration on the run.
Have you ever run this spot? A map to Halifax is here + we hope to see you out there soon.
