Catawba County Hunger Walk

“The Landmark 5K will directly benefit Lincoln Landmarks, Inc., a non-profit organization that advocates for historic preservation of Lincoln County, NC, promotes the historic architecture of our region, facilitates preservation easements and covenants for historic properties, provides preservation resources for owners, and endorses best practices for the rehabilitation and restoration of historic properties. As well, proceeds will go toward the rehabilitation of Lincolnton’s oldest brick building, Pleasant Retreat Academy, which was built in 1817 and still stands on the corner of East Pine and North Academy Street.”

The participants will gather at First Federal Park. The race will start and finish at the park on the rail trail.

Awards: 1st place Overall Male and Female

1st place in each age group

Age Groups (Male and Female) 14 and under 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80+

All finishers will receive a medal

Guaranteed t-shirt registration by March 28.

AGE BASED PRICING FOR ALL STUDENTS AT CHECK OUT (17 AND UNDER) $25

Packet Pickup will be Saturday morning from 6:30-7:30.

We are celebrating our 20th year of the Charity Chase Half Marathon!!!!

The Charity Chase Half Marathon is a rewarding run for those up for the challenge. Hickory is in the foothills of North Carolina and the race course winds around the city with elevation changes that will require some effort. You will have run up and down the equivalent of a sixty-story building before you finish but don't be scared off! We have participants that run/walk and runners as young as seven and as old as seventy.

The Charity Chase 5k will take participants through the downtown area of Hickory.

Charity Chase Half Marathon will start at 7:30 AM.

Charity Chase 5K will start at 7:00 AM.

Our Charity volunteer groups help make Charity Chase Half Marathon run smoothly. There will be over 300 volunteers at the start/finish and along the race course to cheer you on, provide water, Gatorade & GU. They may even entertain you along the way! Hickory's Police Department will be at every controlled intersection and our EMS will be on standby along the course for your safety.

Packet Pick Up will be Friday, April 17th from 12pm-6pm at the Hickory Metro Convention Center.

Race Day Packet Pick Up is available at race venue between 5:30 am - 6:45 am.

Everything we do at Charity Chase Half Marathon is geared to giving our RUNNERS a rewarding race where, hopefully, new PERSONAL BESTS and GREAT EXPERIENCES will be found. We look forward to seeing you there!

Awards:

Half Marathon

Top 3 Male/Female Overall

Top 3 Age Group Male/Female Awards: 1-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65+

5K

Top 3 Male/Female Overall

1st place in each age group awards: 1-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65+

The Samurai Sprint 5K and Dojo Dash Fun Run is a fundraiser held by Budokan Newton Martial Arts and Sensei's Samurai. We are excited to announce our 2nd Annual Samurai Sprint 5K and Dojo Dash Fun Run for charity. We are excited to be hosting this event, again, in Downtown Newton. All proceeds from this event go to fund the newly created William Alden Elliott Memorial Scholarship, in honor of Alden Elliott, who was killed in the line of duty on April 29, 2024.

Alden Elliott was a graduate of Newton-Conover High School and a United States Marine. He worked for NC Department of Adult Correction with the Special Operations and Intelligence Unit. Alden was a Task Force Officer with the U.S. Marshals Service, Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force. He was tragically killed in the line of duty on April 29, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina while attempting to serve a felony warrant. Alden wholeheartedly supported his son Theo's involvement in martial arts here at Budokan Newton. Our hope is to show the same support for a cause in his honor.

Sensei's Samurai is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. The purpose of Sensei's Samurai is to raise awareness for the safety and education of individuals and to serve the community in doing various outreach programs. Our primary mission is to teach the students to give back to the community by means of community service projects.

Your tax-deductible donations will help two seniors in the Catawba County and Newton-Conover School System with a scholarship to a 4-year, 2-year, or Technical School.

This will be our third Annual Soggy Bottoms Backyard Ultra, a day to test yourself on a farmland trail loop with scenic views, rolling hills, and South Mountain in the distance. The challenge is to see how many loops you can accomplish within an allotted time. You can run, ruck, or walk the full event or tackle just half the day. We want this to be a fun day for people of all ages, promoting fitness for the whole family so bring your grandparents, spouses, and kids to enjoy the fresh air.

Registration: This year’s registration is a donation to raise funds in support of our F3 Brother- Ranger and the Northlake House Memory Care. A donation of any amount gains entry to the event.

The Cause: Donations from this event will go directly to the family of Gary Powers and to benefit the residents of the North Lake House Memory Care. Donations will NOT be tax deductible due to in ability of administrative reporting, but hey, it's an awesome cause.

The Format: Every 30 minutes participants will launch from a covered pavilion choosing a 1-mile or 2-mile farmland trail loop. Music will start 2 minutes before each round to notify runners of the upcoming lap. At the pavilion, participants can house their supplies, chairs, a change of clothes, or whatever items they need to run 12, 16, 20 or even 32 miles. Participants need to supply their snacks, fuel, or whatever items will help them go the distance. Water and light snacks will be provided, and adjacent parking and restrooms will be available.

For Families: Five Oaks Farm is a family owned and scenic space where you can bask in the beauty of the great outdoors. We want participants of all ages and skill levels to join in the fun. This event is a fun day to be in nature with walks through a woodland trail and farm landscape. We have had 5 year olds to grandmothers rack up many loops so bring your whole family for a day focused on fitness and activity at your own pace.

Race Swag: During check-out participants will be able to purchase a commemorative Soggy Bottoms T-shirt. T-shirt orders are needed by April 15, 2026 for shirts to be printed in time for the race.

Participants will be required to sign a release waiver in order to participate in this event.

Take advantage of this incredible opportunity to test your limits and enjoy a day on the farm!

For inquiries and additional information, contact Wes Richardson at soggybottomslnc@gmail.com

Race Information

The race starts at 8:30 AM.

Packet pickup starts 30 minutes before the race and ends 10 minutes before the race starts.

All runners must register on RunSignup.

No on-site registration.

Additional Information

Parking and restrooms are located at the Trailhead- https://maps.app.goo.gl/tJmT7w8PjTeEZpnXA

Registration and starting line are located north of the VFW, across the street from the corner of 16th Ave Pl NW and 12th St Dr NW- https://maps.app.goo.gl/5xTSLJccYk39YjU37

5K Course (0.78M)

https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/6233736925

The course is an out-and-back (1.56M)

The 5K does the out-and-back two times.

Half Marathon Course (1.09M)

https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/5975171281

The course is an out-and-back (2.18M).

The Half Marathon does the out-and-back six times.

Course Time Limit

3 hours and 30 minutes.

Finisher Medals

All finishers will receive a themed medal.

Best Costume

It is not required to wear a costume, but we do encourage it.

At the beginning of each race, we take a group photo.

The best costume will be awarded at the beginning race.

Series Points

This race earns points towards the US Road Running Race Series.

For more information, go to https://usroadrunning.com/S.php

Awards

https://usroadrunning.com/Awards.php

Frequently Asked Questions and Information

https://usroadrunning.com/FAQ.php

US Road Running

https://usroadrunning.com