Running Away: Why We Love an Out of Town Run
Running a race in a new location or out of town can be a rewarding, exciting, and rejuvenating experience. While Charlotte’s certainly got a lot – between races, greenways, trails, and run clubs – here are 5 reasons to consider adding an “away game” to your schedule.
Adventure Time: Running in a new location adds a sense of adventure to your race. It doesn’t have to be crazy or exotic to be completely different. It’s a chance to check out unfamiliar terrain, whether it’s winding through the historic streets of a city, trails in a national park, or somewhere in between. Even if it’s a distance you’ve run before, the excitement of a new location can make for a completely unique experience.
Change of Scenery: Escaping the routine of familiar running routes can be just the ticket. Racing in a new location offers a refreshing change of scenery, of course, particularly if you’ve trained over the same routes for months and months. The unique challenges and race atmosphere at an out-of-town event may be just what you need to rejuvenate you love for running.
An Excuse to Travel: Ok, it’s not really an excuse, but running a race out of town is a great reason to travel. Combine your passion for running with a vacation or weekend getaway, explore new places, food, culture – and yes, weather, too. Take a little time away from the main event to learn a little more and experience the place your visiting. That’s a big win if you’re taking a non-running partner along for the trip!

Meet New People: Destination races bring together runners from all over the place, offering a unique opportunity to connect with folks who share your passion for running. It’s kind of cool walking around an unfamiliar city and seeing the medal or t-shirt from the race you just finished, too. And it sure makes it easy to strike up a conversation with a total stranger, when you know you already have something in common.
An Appreciation for Home: Like Dorothy said, there’s no place like it. While it’s fun to check the out-of-town race scene, we’re always happy to head back home. For us, the familiar routes, running friends, and races make Charlotte a great place to run. Running an out-of-town event or just running in a place were visiting makes us appreciate home that much more.
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