Charlotte's marathon enters new era under new owners
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The Charlotte Sports Foundation is acquiring the rights to the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon, ushering in a new chapter for the race that began as the Thunder Road Marathon two decades ago.
Why it matters: The goal for CSF is to use its experience in event management and sports marketing to improve the runner experience and draw more spectators to Charlotte's signature road race, according to organizers.
The big picture: Interest in running surged amid the pandemic, driving increased participation in running events worldwide, including in Charlotte.
State of play: The Novant Health Charlotte Marathon name is here to stay with Novant Health as the title sponsor, according to organizers. The race routinely benefits Novant Health Hemby Children's Hospital and has donated more than $750,000 thus far.
- CSF acquired the race from RunCharlotte, a local race organizer that operates multiple local events, for an undisclosed amount.
Context: CSF puts on several annual sporting events in Charlotte, including the Duke's Mayo Classic, the Duke's Mayo Bowl, the Charlotte Invitational and the Ally Tipoff.
- The organization is also part of the bid for Charlotte to host the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2031 Rugby World Cup.
Between the lines: CSF introduced The Meck Mile, a 1-mile race around American Legion Memorial Stadium in Elizabeth, in 2024. They will end that event to focus on operating the Charlotte Marathon.
- CSF CEO Will Pitts says Meck Mile, which drew roughly 1,000 participants last year, helped them establish relationships in Charlotte's running community. Now CSF will focus its resources on the marathon, a much larger event.
- For CSF, it's about building on the Charlotte Marathon's existing legacy, Pitts tells Axios. They will also be able to use their other events, which draw tens of thousands of people, to promote the marathon.
What to expect: The Charlotte Marathon includes multiple events: full marathon (26.2 miles), half marathon (13.1 miles) and 5K (3.1 miles). Last year, it drew a record 11,500 participants, marking the second straight year all of the day's events were at capacity.
- The course will remain the same this year, but may change in the future.
What they're saying: "This event has tremendous momentum, and our goal is to continue growing it in scale and impact," Andrea Smith, co-chair of the CSF Board of Directors, said in a statement.
What's next: This year's Novant Health Charlotte Marathon is scheduled for Nov. 14, and race registration is open.
What we're watching: The Charlotte Marathon is typically a two-day affair, with an expo on Friday and races on Saturday. While it recently reached record participation numbers, it's about half the size of Richmond's marathon, which drew more than 20,000 participants in November.
- Spectating the Charlotte Marathon has significantly increased over the last decade from a few hot spots to a more people setting up cheering stations, from neighbors and run clubs to community organizations.
- My thought bubble: Charlotte's turnout has significantly improved compared to the first time I ran this race in 2015. The last time I ran it in 2024 was the first time I was not by myself at any point on the course due to more race participants, but also greater community turnout.
- Pro tip: If you're out there cheering someone on, make sure you cheer for all runners. Every person out there needs your support.
Go deeper: 4 takeaways from my fourth Charlotte Marathon
Editor's note: We've updated this story with additional details.