Around the Crown 10K Celebrates Success and Readies for Next Round

It was a grand idea — almost too big to believe. What if we shut down a major highway through uptown Charlotte for four hours so we can host a running race that’s never been done before? Seems logical — or not. Even its creator knew it was a lot to ask.

“It took us four years to go from idea to race day,” says Around the Crown 10k Race Director Brian Mister, who had first thought 2017 would be the inaugural year. He waited two more years to get all of the logistics in place.

“The hardest part was being on the timeline the city and state needed us to be on,” says Mister. That timeline ran from a few hours before 7:04. a.m. Sunday morning, September 1st — Labor Day weekend — until noon. A whole loop of I-277 around uptown would be closed to traffic and open to runners, who would get an unprecedented, slow view of the Queen City’s crowning towers.

“We wanted it to be the ‘landmark race’ in Charlotte, like Cooper River Bridge or the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta,” says Mister. ‘Landmark’ indeed — you won’t get a 180 view of Charlotte’s skyline like this anywhere else. And the ATC 10k delivered.

“There was nothing quite like running along I-277! It was truly a spectacular moment for the city of Charlotte,” says race winner Kelly Fillnow. “It was awesome to meet so many runners after the race who ‘heard we were going to run along I-277’ and started training for the event!”

And Fillnow wasn’t alone in her feelings about the new race: In all, 4,906 runners took to the 10k course. Amazing pictures of the group filling the beltway crossed twitter and Instagram that morning, drawing congratulatory messages from social media followers — along with plenty of thumbs up, clapping, and high-five emojies. The too-incredible-to-imagine race was off and running, and a huge success. Mister and his wife Chelsea were blown away when the runners took off, and they looked at what was happening.

“We ran over to the bridge where everyone was getting on the beltway, and we looked over…” He pauses. “And we both started crying of just…. pure joy.” Their ‘baby’ was not just up and crawling — it was running full speed ahead.

But that’s not the 10k’s only success. It also raised $11,000 for its main beneficiary, Partners for Parks, which supports projects at local parks and recreation centers, as well as its signature event, Open Streets 704. The remainder was split between two other non-profits: Running Works, which supports recovery from homelessness and addiction through the health and wellness of running, and Charlotte Knights Charities. The ballpark’s front terrace overlooked the ATC’s start/finish line on Mint Street, in front of Romare Bearden Park. The May 2020 race will benefit Partners for Parks, Running Works, and the Carolina Farm Trust.

Beyond the purse, the ATC 10k also cared about its footprint: The race was not just the state’s biggest 10k, but its most sustainable. Reusable HydraPak SpeedCups were handed out at the first water stop to eliminate paper and plastic cup waste. Race T-shirts were made by Recover Brands, using plastic from 8 plastic bottles each. A bike valet sponsored by Charlotte B-Cycle encouraged runners to keep their cars parked at home, if possible. Crown Town Compost took care of compostable items.

“To create something for the city is great, but to have a sustainable event is even better,” says Mister.

The same basic route and sustainability will be back May 31, 2020, with just a few changes. The route will begin and end at First Ward Park, and will be just a little bit longer — by about a tenth of a mile. Chalk that up to lessons learned in the inaugural race: GPS apps “jump” up to overpasses and back down to the road again, making a course measure longer than it actually is. Runners were happy to share their personal data gathered on the route to offer a true 6.2-mile race this time around.

The new course with a start/finish line at First Ward Park will give the ATC 10k crew more room to set up the race, and more space for runners afterward. An 8 a.m. start time will give police more time to safely close roads after the bar and restaurant traffic leaves uptown in the early morning hours.

Mister agrees the learning curve was huge for the first race, from the four years it took to figure out logistics with the city and state over use of the highway — “They were great,” he says — and learning how much work goes into closing roads and setting up cones. But he looks forward to the next race in May, and eventually expanding to allow walkers to take part to make it a true “community” event.

“We’re really excited for year 2,” he says. “Just having these crazy ideas and goals.” And he’s already off and running — and thinking about Year 3, during Labor Day weekend 2021.

Fillnow is already training for it, and encouraging her friends.

“I loved the organization and attention to detail that made for an incredible first year race,” she says. “And I loved how the experience intrigued many runners to sign up for their first 10k! I hope to race it again in May as the experience was truly one of a kind.”

See you at the finish line!