Odds + ends for my running friends

Several interesting nuggets to pass along on this beautiful late-winter evening:

UPCOMING RACES:

The Elizabeth 8K Road Race is set for 8 a.m. Saturday, April 17, at Independence Park (300 Hawthorne Lane). The event is in its 24th year, making it the oldest 8K race in Charlotte. Cost is $25 in advance, $30 on race day. Proceeds benefit the beautification of the Historic Elizabeth Neighborhood.
There’s also a 3K Run/Walk ($10) and a Fun Run for kids 6 and younger (free). The first male and female finishers will each receive a 90-minute gift certificate to Breathe Organic Massage and a $75 gift certificate to Asana Activewear. After the race, there’ll be live music, yoga sessions, chair massage, and – wait for it – free beer from Anheuser-Busch. For details, click here.

NC Water For People invites you to participate in the inaugural Water For People 5K Fun Run/Walk on Saturday, May 8, at McAlpine Creek Greenway (8711 Monroe Road). Start time is 9 a.m. Prizes for the top three men's and women's times. Water For People "assists people in developing countries to improve quality of life by supporting the development of locally sustainable drinking water resources, sanitation facilities and hygiene education programs." Registration is $25 in advance, $30 on race day. Register here.

Then on Saturday, May 22, there's the 3rd Annual Thin Mint Sprint 5K, which allows runners to dash through Carowinds theme park on the N.C./S.C. border. Cost is $20, and proceeds benefit the Girl Scouts Hornets’ Nest Council. Note that the race starts at 7:15 a.m.; there's also a 1-mile Fun Run/Walk at 8 a.m. ($15). All race participants receive a Thin Mint Sprint T-shirt, and age-group winners will take home a box of Girl Scout cookies (Thin Mints, of course). Participants will also be able to purchase discounted tickets to the park. All the info you need should be here.

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES:

The Charlotte Running Club, which has worked hard to shed its image as a group of elite runners, is looking for people to lead pace groups in the 9-minute- to 11-minute-per-mile range -- and the CRC couldn't be making it any easier for you. Writes board member Jay Holder: "All you need to do is let us know when you run, where you run and how far you run. You don't have to change your schedule, or place. We'll post it in our newsletter and put it on our Web site. Maybe you'll get 10 runners, maybe it will just be you and your tunes. But we want to have as many options as we can for our members." If you're interested, send an e-mail to run.charlotte@gmail.com.

The Charlotte Track & Triathlon Club will host the 21st annual Brown Cup Award ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Dilworth Neighborhood Grille (Morehead and McDowell streets on the edge of uptown). The Brown Cup was inspired by Donnie Brown, a Charlotte resident and former elite triathlete who beat leukemia back in 1989 and to this day advocates for the type of bone marrow donor program that saved his life. The award will be presented to a local athlete “who, while overcoming adversity, has shown dedication, determination, discipline and sportsmanship during the past year in their quest for personal improvement.”

Charleston's Cooper River Bridge Run, which will be the first major U.S. race to use a timing device attached to the bib, is on pace to sell out its 38,500 spots. Race is March 27. Note for procrastinators: Registration increases from $30 to $40 this weekend. For more info, click here.

Got other running-news tips to pass along? Or have ideas for future features? E-mail me at tjanes@charlotteobserver.com.