CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The smiles. The cheering. The laughter. And the dancing.
It's the only thing you see on the morning of one of the country's biggest football rivalries between two Historically Black College and University teams, and it's exactly what a Charlotte-area run club founder envisioned three years ago.
"The cooldown, the turn-up, the camaraderie after is just as fun as the miles. You gotta get that work in but we're going to turn up and have some fun after," said Mad Miles Run Club founder Cornell Jones.
The Mad Miles Run Club hosted a group run at 10 a.m. at Camp North End to kick off the Duke's Mayo Classic weekend celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Aggie-Eagle Classic between North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central University.
"We're typically at Elizabeth Park, but we knew it was going to be something special celebrating HBCUs," said Jones.
The Charlotte Sports Foundation -- which hosted the opener of the Duke's Mayo Classic in Bank of America Stadium -- invited the run club to set the tone for the entire weekend.
"You can see the energy out here. It's a great place to start and we have to keep it here and maintain it through fanfest, and in the game into everything we have planned," said Duke's Mayo spokesperson Miller Yoho.
Mayor Vi Lyles said the excitement around the club's enthusiasm and the game later in the evening is infectious.
"This event is just one example of how you can see African-Americans contributing to our economy --how sports and entertainment contribute to our economy, so we're pretty excited," she said.
In addition to the runners, cheerleaders and dancers were featured as well. Duke's Mayo organizers noted the weekend beyond the game includes step shows, food trucks, vendors, and artists.
Jones says Mad Miles also plans to participate in Sunday's Around The Crown 10K, and they also enjoy partaking in community service.
"It leaves me speechless sometimes when I think about what Mad Miles Run Club has done for me and what's it done for the community," he said.
Contact Fred Shropshire at fred@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.