Charlotte — Nearly 7,300 athletes took on the 19th iteration of the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. Saturday’s weather was ideal for runners and spectators alike, with 45 states and eight countries represented across all events.
“It really was a great day overall,” said Tim Rhodes, RunCharlotte president, and Race Director for the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. “It was really an exciting day, too, with so many first-timers… we just want to continue to improve this experience for runners leading into next year and our 20th anniversary event.”
The practically perfect running weather made for slightly faster finish times compared to last year. Sean Rager (2:31:17) won the marathon event, with Lauren Fulcher (3:09:00) winning the women’s title. Also of note, Charlotte’s Jamey Yon ran a 1:20:37 half marathon, in what’s believed to be an NC age group state record. Dave Behrens of Raleigh has completed all 19 Novant Health Charlotte Marathons, finishing today’s event in 5:48:43.
Along with the thousands of individual success stories from the finish line; runners, sponsors, partners, and donors helped raise money for Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital. Event organizers expect the contribution to top last year’s $102,000.
“The Novant Health Charlotte Marathon is one of our community’s proudest traditions and we’re thrilled to help bring it to life every year,” said Lindsey Fronk, Supervisor, Corporate Sports Sponsorships. “I want to thank the thousands of runners, volunteers, and spectators that made today another unforgettable race. We’re especially grateful to the racers that put extra meaning into their miles by joining Team Hemby in support of our pediatric patients.”
“Every year it is an incredible honor to see the support for Hemby Children’s Hospital through the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon,” added Betsy Zarzour, Team Hemby Coordinator for the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. “The six meaningful miles patients, two charity chasers, and over 250 Team Hemby members, were just some of the many ways donors and runners supported the race this year.”
This year marks the 17th year that Novant Health has served as the Official Medical Provider for the race. Registration for the 2024 Novant Health Charlotte Marathon is open NOW with special pricing available to the earliest entrants.
Results: 2023 Novant Health Charlotte Marathon
Men’s Marathon Winner: Sean Rager, 2:31:17 (Alpharetta, GA)
“It was a great course, first time running it…great spectators, great competition, great pacers, great everything across the board.”
Women’s Marathon Winner: Lauren Fulcher, 3:09:00 (Charlotte, NC)
“I moved to Charlotte about four months ago… I ran the full marathon, and ended up getting first, somehow. I feel absolutely exhausted, but so thankful to be able to run.”
Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Half Marathon
Men’s Winner: Brad Mish, 1:10:10 (Hadley, MA)
Women’s Winner: Lucy Rogers, 1:22:20 (Charlotte, NC)
Chick-fil-A 5k:
Men’s Winner: Dan Kerr, 16:36 (Charlotte, NC)
Women’s Winner: Anabelle Saindon, 18:26 (Levis, NC)
Complete results for all events can be found here:
https://www.athlinks.com/event/20296/results/Event/1045578/Course/2347062/Division/2105549/Results
About RunCharlotte and the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon
RunCharlotte is Charlotte’s home for the resources, inspiration, and experiences to guide runners of all paces. Since 2005, the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon has capped the local road racing season. The event and its participants have contributed more than $350,000 to support programs at Novant Health’s Hemby Children’s Hospital.
Event website: https://thecharlottemarathon.com
