The second annual Raleigh Rock-N-Roll marathon will wend its way through NC State’s campus and showcase both Centennial Campus and the university’s world-class Hunt Library, as runners from across the nation take a lap around the Oval during the second half of the marathon route.
The 26.2-mile race and its companion 13.1-mile half marathon will begin in downtown Raleigh at 7 a.m. Sunday, April 12, and travel to Hillsborough Street near the D.H. Hill library, where the full marathoners will split west towards Meredith, while the half-marathoners will head east as they return to downtown.
The latter portion of the marathon will return to Hillsborough Street, turn at the Belltower on Pullen Road and enter Centennial Campus on Oval Drive from Centennial Parkway. Runners will run on the Oval, with full views of Hunt, the university’s internationally acclaimed learning center that opened in 2013, then return to Main Campus Drive and exit to Avent Ferry Road via Varsity Drive.
After a loop around Lake Johnson, runners will return to Centennial Campus, where they will run past Centennial Middle School, The Point, the Lonnie Poole Golf Course and the Alumni Center on Main Campus Drive before exiting on Achievement Drive to Centennial Parkway.
The for-profit, music-themed marathon, which features stages with various bands and performing artists on each mile of the race, will create some minor traffic disruptions on campus the morning of the race.
Efforts are underway through University Police and other members of the campus community to minimize the impact of the race, which will shut down certain parts of Centennial Campus during the Sunday morning event. Details about traffic routes and closings will be posted to the campus community in the weeks leading up to the race, which is expected to draw about 12,000 total runners and about 2,000 marathoners.
This year’s headliner at the post-race Finish Line Festival will be the pop-rock band Smash Mouth, which will perform at the Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown Raleigh. The concert is free and open to the public.
Organizers of the marathon are recruiting NC State-affiliated groups to perform at stages on or near NC State’s campus. Registration for bands and entertainment will begin in February.
Cheer and dance teams affiliated with the university can register to participate as well, with the opportunity to win $750 for their organizations.
Runners can still register for the Raleigh race. Entry fees are $115 for the marathon and $110 for the half marathon. Registration closes on April 5.
- Categories:
