CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Thousands of runners hit the streets of Uptown Saturday morning for the annual Novant Health Charlotte Marathon to benefit Hemby Children's Hospital.
The marathon began around 7:30 a.m. and will wind its way through several Charlotte neighborhoods, including Dilworth, Myers Park, NoDa and Plaza Midwood. The marathon's finish line is at Truist Field and the event is estimated to take about six hours to complete. Click here for a complete list of street closures and a map of the marathon.
Since 2013, the Charlotte Marathon has raised $140,000 for the hospital.
After last year's race was canceled due to COVID-19, runners said they've been looking forward to getting back on Charlotte's streets.
"It's always about exercise and being healthy, but this year it's a little bit different," runner John Davis said. "My grandfather passed away in mid-June. He ran the marathon and the 10K in the 90s, so it was a fitting way to honor his memory."
Davis said the marathon's organizers worked with him so his bib number would match that of his grandfather's when he ran the Charlotte Marathon.
If participants or spectators are looking to ride mass transit to the race Charlotte, they will need to utilize CATS bus routes. The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) will suspend all rail and streetcar services Saturday and Sunday to conduct annual maintenance on the LYNX Blue Line and CityLYNX Gold Line.
In addition to regular bus routes, additional buses will also stop at stations usually served by rail service.
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