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Charity Chase Half Marathon & 5k

April 12, 2025
Hickory
Road
Distances
Half-Marathon, 5k
Starting Time

7:30 AM

Fees

$45+

Perfect For

Ready to sign up?

100-500
Fast & Flat
Urban
High: 68°
/ Low: 49°

Runners get the chance to trek through the streets and along the riverfront of one of western North Carolina’s most picturesque cities at Hickory’s annual Charity Chase Half Marathon, which marks its 19th annual running in the heart of spring, after last year’s race that saw just over 300 runners cross the finish line.

The race got its start in 2006 as an effort by the Hickory Jaycees to raise money for the locally based NC Jaycees Burn Center, and saw just over 200 runners complete the event, raising an estimated $6,000 in donations for the burn center.

Today, the number of runners taking part in the race has more than doubled, as have the donations received, which are distributed to all of the charities and nonprofit organizations that volunteer for the race each year. Visitors to this part of western North Carolina may already be familiar with its importance to the furniture industry, as the Hickory Furniture Mart has been a mecca for shoppers for decades, and helped build the city, which now is home to more than 40,000 residents. The course for the race begins and ends in downtown Hickory at Union Square, with a 7:00 AM starting time — as the race organizers put it, “just as the sun is coming up.” From there, the course takes runners north through the city, past Oakwood Cemetery and later through the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University before coming back into downtown along Main Avenue.
Overview
Runners get the chance to trek through the streets and along the riverfront of one of western North Carolina’s most picturesque cities at Hickory’s annual Charity Chase Half Marathon, which marks its 19th annual running in the heart of spring, after last year’s race that saw just over 300 runners cross the finish line. The race got its start in 2006 as an effort by the Hickory Jaycees to raise money for the locally based NC Jaycees Burn Center, and saw just over 200 runners complete the event, raising an estimated $6,000 in donations for the burn center.
Today, the number of runners taking part in the race has more than doubled, as have the donations received, which are distributed to all of the charities and nonprofit organizations that volunteer for the race each year. Visitors to this part of western North Carolina may already be familiar with its importance to the furniture industry, as the Hickory Furniture Mart has been a mecca for shoppers for decades, and helped build the city, which now is home to more than 40,000 residents. The course for the race begins and ends in downtown Hickory at Union Square, with a 7:00 AM starting time — as the race organizers put it, “just as the sun is coming up.” From there, the course takes runners north through the city, past Oakwood Cemetery and later through the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University before coming back into downtown along Main Avenue.

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Charity Chase Half Marathon & 5k Course Map

Distances
Half Marathon, 5k
Starting Time

7:30 AM

Fees

$45+

Perfect For

Ready to sign up?

Train with Runna

Use code HALF for 2 weeks FREE

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