Where’s the Running in Raleighwood?
The days of overcast skies and chilly weather are behind us, at least for now. As the daylight stretches longer and the nights grow warmer, anticipation in the City of Oaks grows. Gone are the days of braving the sub-40 degree temperature to pound pavement before dawn or clicking off miles under an all-too-early setting sun, it’s time to reap the benefits. You might be wondering, “Raleigh has got to have races, right?”, damn right. We’ve got everything from the Tracksmith 5000 under the lights at the Meredith Track on bustling Hillsborough St. to a summer that culminates at the fastest mile in North Carolina, the Raleigh RunDown.
Month of May
May is ending just as quickly as it began, but don’t let that discourage you from throwing down a new personal best over 5000 meters. On May 29th, as the sun begins to set as will the Tracksmith 5000, offering 12 ½ laps of pure adrenaline. We don’t have to say it for you to understand: everyone wants to race. Registration closes on the 25th, but don’t expect the spots to last that long.
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Month of June
Run For Love 5k. That’s it, that’s the sentence. If there’s one race you need to add to your summer racing schedule, it’s this one. On June 8th in Dorothea Dix Park, you’ll get the opportunity to join 1,000+ competitors in benefitting Raleigh Pride and the LGBT Center of Raleigh. After the race, we’ll have an afterparty at Trophy Brewing Company along with awards and it might just end up being the best Saturday of your summer.
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If you don’t know now, you’re soon to find out: every summer is a Sir Walter Summer. That means pop-ups, lots of ‘em. Every Tuesday from June 4th until the pop-up championship on Wednesday, June 26th you can find yourself at Williams Stadium behind Athens Drive to chase a fast time over varying distances. Clock a fast enough time and you’ll earn a spot in the championship section on the 26th, with a chance to compete in the Sir Walter Miler on the line.
Sir Walter Pop-up Details:
First Week: Tuesday, June 4th
Second Week: Tuesday, June 11th
Third Week: Tuesday, June 18th
Pop-Up Championship: Wednesday, June 26th
Find additional details here
Month of July
Yeah, Raleigh didn’t land a Diamond League, but we might just have something better, the Runologie Track Club 5k. Hosted in collaboration with St. Augustine’s University to benefit Bershawn Jackson’s Run U Express, this race runs through campus and ends with a swift last lap around the George Williams Athletic Complex. We might just have you covered with a post-race celebration, the top-3 overall competitors will win cash prizes of $500, $400, and $300, respectively. Not sure you can swing that? Don’t worry–age group award winners will receive gift cards to Runologie.
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Month of August
Three things are for certain in life, death, taxes, and the Sir Walter Miler on the first Friday of every August. I don’t know how many times we have to say it, but this meet is must-see track and field. You might not get to race it, but you sure as hell can see it, and I mean really see it. There aren’t many races in the United States where spectators line both sides of the track and get to watch professional athletes fly by at unfathomable paces, but the Sir Walter Miler is one of them. So, if you’ve got plans on August 2nd, cancel them and head out to the Meredith Track along with all of Raleigh to watch the professionals throw down. I mean seriously, you cannot miss this.
If the 2024 edition of the Sir Walter Miler gets you inspired, they’ve got you covered. Follow-up spectating a fast mile with running one of your own down Centennial Parkway on August 3rd. Truthfully, it’s not called the fastest mile in North Carolina for nothing. But, we can’t say the same for the cooldown… you’ve got to get back up that hill somehow. Don’t fret though; we’ve got you covered with awards at Trophy Brewing Company while you reward yourself with a well-deserved drink.
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If you’re not looking to race this summer, don’t worry; we’re looking out for you too. Join us at St. Augustine’s Track and Field Complex for Track Tuesdays from 5 – 7:30 p.m., weekly, or at Runologie for The Laboratory Run Club, every Thursday at 6 p.m. Our summer is jam-packed, so yeah, if you’re wondering, Raleigh is a running town.
Summer 2024 Racing Calendar
May:
Wednesday, May 29th: Raleigh Twilight 5000 by Tracksmith
June:
Tuesday, June 4th: Sir Walter Pop-Up (Week One)
Saturday, June 8th: Run For Love 5k
Tuesday, June 11th: Sir Walter Pop-Up (Week Two)
Tuesday, June 18th: Sir Walter Pop-Up (Week Three)
Wednesday, June 26th: Sir Walter Pop-Up (Championship)
July:
Saturday, July 13th: Runologie Track Club 5k
August:
Friday, August 2nd: 10th Annual Sir Walter Miler
Saturday, August 3rd: Raleigh RunDown Downhill Mile