CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Organizers of the 41st annual Charleston Distance Run are expecting an increase of about 200 runners for Saturday’s race through the streets of the Capital City.
Race Director John Palmer said the increase would take the registration up to 1,700 participants.
Palmer said he’s not surprised by the increase. He says road running is enjoying a renaissance of sorts throughout the U.S. with an increased number of half marathons and 5K races.
The director said the CDR has also found a niche with runners who don’t want to run the entire race and instead enter in the three-person relay event.
“The legs of the relay are three miles, five miles and seven miles so if someone doesn’t think they can do the entire 15-mile course, join a relay team. It’s a lot of fun,” Palmer said.
Saturday morning’s temperature is forecasted to be about 70 degrees with 93 percent humidity. Palmer said that would likely impact the winning time for the race.
“An hour and 12 minutes would really be a good time. I don’t think it will be quite that fast but we do have some really strong elite runners,” he said.
The Charleston Distance Run begins at 7:30 a.m. Sat. in front of the state capitol. The course winds down Kanawha Blvd. before heading toward the tough 5-mile South Hills section of the race. The final seven miles are through the city’s East End, back to Boulevard before finishing at Laidley Field.