The Raleigh City of Oaks Marathon and Rex Healthcare Half Marathon is returning to Raleigh’s Creative District for the fifth year—starting and finishing this years race at the NC State Memorial Bell Tower. Come on out to cheer the runners on and help them cross the finish line. Hillsborough Street should be a great place to watch the race.
I’ve run in the City of Oaks since 2007. It was my first half marathon and I was able to finish in under two hours (1 hour, 54 minutes). This year, I’m hoping to rock out the new course as we navigate through downtown Raleigh, run up Glenwood South, swing by Cameron Village, say hello to our friends in University Park, turn around at the Fairgrounds, and cross the finish line at the Bell Tower. The full marathon will take runners out to Umstead Park past the half marathon turn around point on Blue Ridge.
They’ve added some new parts to the activities this year:
- The News & Observer Old Reliable 10K – The 27-year-old Old Reliable 10K race is now a Raleigh City of Oaks Marathon event.
- Four-person Marathon Relay – allows you to race the marathon as a team, completing one of four legs of distances ranging from 5 miles to 9.4 miles.
- YMCA Kids’ Marathon Mile – For children ages 7-14
It’s awesome to have such a great event like this in the Creative District. I hope to see you on the course. And if you’re not running in this year’s race, you can always volunteer or come on out and see all the action. Finish strong!
More information at www.cityofoaksmarathon.com.