This is my 10th year doing this race (out of the last 11 years) and I’ve seen some changes over the years. This year, they had the 8K start at 830 (as opposed to 9) and the 5K start at 930 with the option of doing an 8K/5K challenge (I wish I’d seen that earlier, I would have been all over it).

Packet Pick Up happens the Tuesday and Wednesday before at the Dillards parking lot and you can pick up for family/Friends. There’s also race day pick up but no registration on race day

Race Options: 1 mile fun run, 5K, 8K and a kids fun trot

The race itself: didn’t seem as crowded as prior years, but still crowded at the start. The start happens in front of the South Park Mall before taking you through some of the business parts of town. After a mile or so, you get the residential parts of Charlotte with the lone major (ish) hill after mile 2, that really didn’t seem that bad this year. Just after 3 miles, you turn down Sharon Road for just under a mile before turning Down Colony road. This year, we had to do an out and back portion on Rexford Road before turning into the parking lot of the South Park Mall

Post race: water and medals at the finish and food as well. Seemed less congested and less of a hot mess than prior years

Overall, fun tradition. Wish they would have done a little more advertising about the change in race times because I’m pretty sure people weren’t aware of it. Something though to keep coming back for if you’re in the area