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North Carolina > Cannonball Run Half Marathon & 5K Run/Walk
Greensboro, NC • Saturday, October 12, 2013 • Course Map
The serene, peaceful, tree-lined roads that wind through Greensboro Country Park serve as the first couple and last couple of miles for the annual Cannonball Run Half Marathon & 5K Run/Walk, which is set for its 10th annual running in the fall of 2013 after a 2012 race that saw just over 380 runners and walkers cross the finish line in both races combined.
Why the name for the race? It's inspired no doubt by the 1981 movie The Cannonball Run that starred Burt Reynolds, Dom Deluise and Roger Moore, and was itself inspired by the infamous Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, a real -- if not exactly legal -- race that was devised by an editor for Car & Driver magazine in the early 1970s.
As legend has it, the race was run four times from the east coast to the west coast on interstate highways, largely as a protest to the stricter speed limits and traffic controls that were first introduced in those days.
For the 2012 race here in Greensboro, runners will follow an out-and-back course that starts and finishes in Greensboro Country Park, which plays host to running and cycling events nearly year-round. The race starts on the park roads just south of the two lakes in the center of Country Park, and then heads out onto Orman Road and Lawndale Drive, the start of a long out-and-back stretch that winds through the residential neighborhoods near Lake Brandt.
Runners follow the course all through these neighborhoods -- with turns on Regents Park Lane, Lake Brandt Road and Atlantic & Yadkin Greenway -- and then follow a bridge that crosses over the lake toward Bur Mil Park and the lake's shoreline. Once runners reach the turnaround point at the end of Steepleton Colony Court, they'll retrace their steps along the route they've just run, all the way back to Country Park for the race finish.
The scheduled starting times for the race are 8:00 AM for the half marathon and 8:30 AM for the 5K, and runners and walkers will be able to sign up for the race on the morning of the event. The event also includes what organizers call the "Fittest Family Challenge," in which families can compete as a team with their combined race times.
Race Weather & Climate
Located between Winston-Salem and the Raleigh-Durham area in central North Carolina, about 90 miles northeast of Charlotte, Greensboro typically sees October temperatures that average between 47°F and 70°F, while rainfall totals average just over 3 1/4 inches for the month.
On the day of the race (Oct. 12), the average low is 49°F and the average high is 71°F.
Course Map
View the race route map for the Cannonball Run Half Marathon
Starting Time
8:00 AM
Fees
$40 for the half marathon, if registered by May 31, 2013
$50 between June 1 - August 30
$60 between September 1 - October 12
Registration
To reserve your spot in the fall 2012 running of Greensboro's Cannonball Run Half Marathon or 5K race, register online at SportOften.com.
Official Race Website
www.cannonballrunrace.com
Leave a Comment
Ever run in North Carolina's annual Cannonball Run Half Marathon? Share your impressions, stories and tips from the event.
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