Trail Runners Converge on Raleigh for 2nd Annual Umstead Trail Marathon

Runners from as far away as Canada, California, and Colorado will arrive in Raleigh, North Carolina, to run the second annual Umstead Trail Marathon on March 5, 2005. The rugged 26.2 mile race is sponsored by the Carolina Godiva Track Club, an organization that has promoted running in the Triangle area for three decades. Details can be found at www.carolinagodiva.org/umsteadmarathon.

Raleigh, NC (PRWEB) January 24, 2005 -- Road races? Too boring. Trail runners opt for the rocks, roots, steep hills and scenic beauty of trail running over asphalt every time-never mind the occasional turned ankle. For the second year in a row, long distance runners from North Carolina and beyond will converge on Raleigh to run the Umstead Trail Marathon, organized by the Carolina Godiva Track Club (www.carolinagodiva.org). The race will take place on Saturday, March 5, 2005.

The Umstead Trail Marathon -- run on the trails of the William B. Umstead State Park, a 5,500 acre tract of forest resting between the cities of Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Morrisville -- will bring together 175 runners, many of whom will travel to the Triangle just for the race. While most are local, registrants for the 2005 race include runners from as far away as Canada, California, Colorado, and Indiana.

Registration was already filled by mid-January, explains race director Bob Nelson, Executive Director of The Center for Health & Wellness at Sampson Regional Medical Center. We knew the race would fill up again this year because the comments we got from last years runners were so positive. They loved the shirts, the meal, the volunteers--everything. The awards were also especially memorable." Last years awards consisted of handmade replicas of the race logo, a horse fly, a notable (if unpopular) member of the local park fauna. This years marathon logo depicts a flying squirrel, another North Carolina native.

The Umstead Trail Marathon will be staffed by about 80 volunteers, many of them runners themselves, and is sponsored by local businesses including The Great Outdoor Provision Company (www.greatoutdoorprovision.com), The Q-Shack (www.theqshack.com), Layers (www.layers-outdoor.com), InsideOut Sports (www.insideoutsports.com), Native Eyewear (www.nativeyewear.com), Storr Office Environments (www.storr.com), DNA Group (www.dnagroup.com), and Lulu (www.lulu.com).

Proceeds will go to the not-for-profit Carolina Godiva Track Club, which promotes running and fitness in the Triangle. Information for volunteering can be found on the race web site: www.carolinagodiva.org/umsteadmarathon.

About Carolina Godiva Track Club: Founded at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1975, CGTC became an independent NC non-profit organization in 1981 and currently serves over 450 members from all over the Triangle. From its inception, Godiva has reached out to runners of all skills and interests, from novices to elite runners. The club organizes recreational runs and sponsors track, cross-country, trail running, and middle- to long-distance road-racing events.

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