And we're off to the races...

Looking for a race to run this weekend? You've got plenty of choices, and here they are:

Great Harvest Bread Company 5K

When: 7:30 a.m. Saturday (1-mile run starts at 8:15).
Where: Great Harvest Bread Company, The Shops at Piper Glen, 6418 Rea Road in Charlotte.
Why: Proceeds will support the Pet Food Bank, a partnership between Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina and Animal Care & Control. For details, click here then click on "Animal Care & Control."
Cost: $20 through Friday, $30 on race day (1-mile run is $5).
Of note: Registration is at 65 percent and will be capped at 1,000 runners. ... The Shops at Piper Glen, home of Great Harvest Bread Company and the event site, has limited parking. Click here for instructions for off-site parking. All runners that arrive with two-plus runners in their car will receive $5 off a Summer Breeze race entry and get entered to win a $40 Run For Your Life gift certificate. ... The Great Harvest Bread Co. race, now in its fourth year, is the fourth event in the 2010 Run For Your Life Grand Prix Series (it's the race's first year as part of the GPx series). ... Organizers are accepting donations of wet and/or dry food for dogs and cats.
Details: Click here.

Thin Mint Sprint 5K

When: 7:15 a.m. Saturday; 1-mile Fun Run/Walk at 8 a.m.
Where: Carowinds theme park, located adjacent to Interstate 77 on the state line between North and South Carolina, in Charlotte and Fort Mill.
Why: Proceeds benefit the Girl Scouts Hornets’ Nest Council.
Cost: $20 ($15 for the Fun Run/Walk).
Of note: The event, now in its third year, features a course that weaves through the park's coasters and thrill rides. ... 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 be able to purchase discounted tickets to the park.
Details: Click here.

5K Run For Clean Air

When: 8 a.m. Saturday; walk and "tot trot" (for kids 1-8) are at 8:30.
Where: McAlpine Creek Park, 8711 Monroe Road, in Charlotte.
Why: This event will raise funds for Clean Air Carolina's education and advocacy programs.
Cost: $25 through Friday, $30 on race day. "Tot trot" registration is $10.
Of note: In addition to virtual goody bags, Clean Air Carolina is planning to green up the event by using compostable water cups at aid stations and separate refuse bins for recyclables, compostables and trash. ... Using the CATS hybrid bus on Route 27 is encouraged, or you can get access to VIP parking if you travel to the event on your bicycle or by carpool. ... Grateful Growers will be doling out samples of their locally grown food.
Details: Click here.

On A Mission 5K Run/Walk

When: 8 a.m. Saturday (Fun Run is at 8:45).
Where: Crossroads Church, 220 George W. Liles Parkway, in Concord.
Why: All proceeds from this race go to the Mexico Mission Team and Navajo Mission Team for their upcoming 2010 mission trips.
Cost: $20 in advance, $25 on race day. Fun run (for kids 14 and younger) is $5.
Of note: The 5K course loops through the Laurel Park neighborhood in Concord.
Details: Click here.

Miracle Miles 5K and Family Fun Run

When: 8 a.m. Saturday.
Where: The run will start in the parking lot in front of the Target store at the intersection of Weddington Road (Route 84) and Waxhaw-Indian Trail Road in Wesley Chapel. The course will go through the community of Wesley Oaks.
Why: All proceeds will be used to pay "huge" medical bills facing the family of 3-1/2-year-old Matthew Alcorn, who suffers from a rare brain tumor and has had to undergo four brain surgeries.
Cost: $25, $15 for students in grades K-12, $55 for a family of four.
Of note: While there will be a time clock present, this is a noncompetitive event and there will be no official time kept for runners.
Event details: Click here. For more on Matthew, click here.


MEANWHILE, IN RALEIGH...

It's a little sexist. But it's also apparently a lotta fun.

Here's Raleigh's Skirt Chaser 5K in a nutshell: All the women who pay the $53 to $73 registration fee get a running skirt. Women take off first, wearing their new garment; the guys are let loose three minutes later. Voila -- boys chasing girls wearing skirts, with the first-place finisher taking home $500.

The battle of the sexes -- scheduled for this Saturday -- is followed by more flirting at a block party in Raleigh's Glenwood South area that includes free food, beer, live music and dating games.

By the way, the founder of this national racing series is a woman: Nicole DeBoom, who runs this company and is the creator of the fitness running skirt.

Want to run the Skirt Chaser 5K? Click here for more info.