Godiva Summer Track begins on Wednesday. May 28th at Chapel Hill's Culbreth Middle School, 225 Culbreth Rd, Chapel Hill. (The track at our most recent venue, Durham Academy Upper School, will be resurfaced this summer.) We've planned a 10 week season with the last session on August 6th. There will be no meet on July 2nd, owing to the July 4th holiday that week.
No registration required, just show up and run/walk as many events as you choose. No track experience required (we have runners young and old among us). No club membership required. Please read on to learn more then join us on the track this summer.
What: Continuing a club tradition, we will have our annual One Hour Run starting at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, August 13th (one after the last summer track meet).
Where: The events takes place on the 1000m gravel path around the UNC track and soccer fields at 157 Old Mason Farm Road, Chapel Hill. Expect the usual Carolina summer heat and humidity. The path isn't USATF certified, but even if it wasn't designed to be 1000 m (or 1 km) long it's pretty darn close at about 985 m or so. It's easy footing on finely crushed gravel with very minor elevation changes.
When: Wednesday. August 13th. Everybody hits the path running at 6:30 pm. Please plan to arrive slightly early to get your bib assigned by timer Anthony Corriveau.
How it works: Once underway, the automatic timing system will count whole laps. Exactly one hour after we start, there will be a horn blast to tell people to come to a complete stop. We'll come around with a measuring wheel to figure out your partial lap distance and calculate your total mileage for the hour. If you just absolutely need to move, feel free to plop your bib down to the side of the track in a manner in which it won't blow away, and we can get the final distance that way too. (You are assuming the risk of it blowing away though, make sure you put something heavy on it!)
We'll have a cooler of water and some snacks out on a table by the start line. We'll have cups as well, but you're welcome to bring your own.
There is no cost to attend this event, but we will have the donation bucket out in the event that you'd like tothe cost of contribute to defray supplies.
Please email Bill Harris (william.g.harris@gmail.com) with any questions.
P.S. The men's hour run world record is 21,330 meters (13.25 mi), set by Mo Farah on September 4th, 2020, while the women's world record is 18,930 meters (11.76 mi), set by Sifan Hassan on the same day. Between them, Mo and Sifan also have six Olympic gold medals.
Godiva Track Club's annual awards banquet on Sunday evening, May 19th, continued this year's celebration of CGTC's 50th anniversary. Founder David Royle was on hand to share his thoughts on the occasion, which ranged from amazement at the organization's longevity to gratitude for the efforts of those who followed him that kept Godiva's flame burning. Another early club member, Walter Fowler, shared memories of Godiva's activities and achievements in the 70s and 80s. Other founding era Godiva leaders present included Roland Rust and Walter High. Major award winners, pictured below, included Stephanie DeVries (Female Athlete of the Year), Heather Bucurel and Andy Snipes (Volunteers of the Year), and Richard Kesseli (Male Runner of the Year). Thanks to Godiva Vice President Charlene Flahiff for organizing the party. Here are some additional party pics.
Sixty members gathered at Boxyard RTP to celebrate 50 years of Carolina Godiva Track Club by doing a commemorative run of 50 x 1 mile, with staggered starts over 50 minutes. Club Founder David Royle led off, followed by Roland Rust, another early leader of CGTC. The weather was ideal, birthday cake was plentiful, and a good time was had by all. Here's a 50 for 50 photo gallery, thanks to Patrick Gale.
About CGTC
Do you like to run? Are you interested in meeting other people in North Carolina's Research Triangle area who share your interest? If so, you're in the right place.
Founded in 1975 at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Godiva Track Club has about members of all ages and abilities, and welcomes new members.
Godiva presents popular running events like the Umstead Trail Marathon. Godiva's annual calendar also features weekly summer track meets, a September cross country series, and a seven race winter series taking place from October through March. There are some regularly scheduled weekly runs.
Please check out more reasons to join Godiva and sign up on line.
Oh yes, one more thing: You may wonder why we're called the Godiva Track Club. Here's the story.