This race is the first part of the Cardinal Track Club's "Tour de Carrboro". It offers a no-frills community experience that is a nice way to start off the Fourth of July.

Registration for the race was easy, though the website provided limited info about the course and race day experience. You can register for just this race or all three of the races in the Tour.

The race begins at Mcdougal Middle School. Parking is ample for the number of racers, and though tight at times the organizers made sure to have plenty of volunteers on hand to direct you to a parking place. Picking up your packet took no time, and the race-day registration line seemed to move pretty quickly. You don't get a t-shirt, but we did get nice keychain bottle openers. In the past I know they provided jam, so the swag here is always a little different and unique.

The course is an out and back that winds through the neighborhoods near the school to the edge of downtown Carrboro and back to finish on the track at the middle school. It wasn't hot that day, but the course is mostly shaded which would normally help on a July morning. There are a few gentle hills to break things up, but overall the course is flat. Parts of the course are run in bike lanes on main roads, so they can get a little tight if you are in a pack but it is manageable. The four mile is not a common distance, but this is a course that will let you build and carry speed if that's what you're looking for. Your bib has a chip for timing purposes, though it is from gun time. They had two aid stations on the course with water, though it was short enough that I didn't need them both.

Awards categories are pretty standard with the addition of Clydesdale and Athena categories. The awards themselves are custom pottery. The field was much faster than me, so I don't know from experience.

The crowd is relaxed and the course is forgiving, making this a great way to start the morning of a holiday like the Fourth. You can get in and out pretty easily, and the start lets you sleep in a little but then get on with your day. I would run it again.

For more of a reflection on the run, check out my blog post on the race: http://wp.me/p7xxYm-2h