If you haven't realized by now, I love supporting the arts. So in September 2010 when my wife Jane and I ran the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile, I couldn't stop thinking about ways to bring a race like this to Charlotte.
The Fifth Avenue Mile starts right in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, runs down Fifth Avenue, passing the Frick Collection, and ending near Central Park South. It's a great race, but one I think Charlotte can actually do better. Afterall, Charlotte's Tryon Street has more museums in a one-mile stretch than New York's famous Museum Mile!
Upon returning from New York, I immediately began working on a one-mile race in uptown Charlotte that would highlight Charlotte's new cultural facilities. After convincing the City of Charlotte to close down Tryon Street and securing some great sponsors, there was no turning back. Thus was born the Charlotte Museum Mile.
While organizing the race I learned that Charlotte had its own one-mile race in uptown in the 1970s and 1980s. It was called the Tryon Street Mile. I even talked to a few friends that ran in the race and they loved it. But for one reason or another, the Tryon Street Mile went away and left a huge gap in Charlotte running events.
On April 23 beginning at 7:30 a.m., near the corner of North Tryon and 12th Street, runners will run south passing the McColl Center for Visual Art, Spirit Square and the Light Factory, and Discovery Place. They will cross the statutes at Trade and Tryon and finish the run downhill to the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and the uptown Mint Museum. Levine Avene of the Arts will be closed for a post-race celebration.
Each participant in the race will receive a running shirt designed by Charlotte Artist Ashley Lathe. Runners will also receive a Connect with Culture Card from the Arts & Science Council which allows 2-for-1 entry into many of Charlotte's cultural facilities. The race will benefit the Arts & Science Council.
To learn more about the race, please visit http://www.charlottemuseummile.com/. To register go to Queen City Timing.
Hope to see you on April 23! And be on the lookout for another exciting announcement involving Pantone 278 in April.
