Odds + ends for my running friends

Here are a few little news items, some of which appeared earlier this week on my Facebook Fan Page:

The Charlotte Running Club is hosting a fundraising event TONIGHT that will feature Queens University of Charlotte head track coach Scott Simmons as its special guest, along with members of the Royals team that competed at the Division II national meet here in Charlotte last weekend. The event will take place at Dilworth Neighborhood Grille (911 E. Morehead St.) from 6-9 p.m.; cost is $15 at the door and includes food and drinks. Authentic USATF gear signed by U.S. Olympic track and field athletes will be auctioned off. All proceeds from the event will benefit the club as well as Queens' goal of purchasing a state-of-the-art Alter-G Treadmill to help train its athletes. Details: E-mail Jay Holder at jasongholder@gmail.com or Jenna Wrieden at wriedenj@queens.edu.

Week 2 of the Charlotte Track & Triathlon Club's Trenton Guy Sr. Summer Track Series is Tuesday at the Myers Park High School track. Registration begins at 5 p.m., with the first event at 6 p.m. All ages and abilities are welcome. The entry fee is $2 for the first two events and $1 for each additional event. The events in order are: 50m, 100m, 1 mile, 4 x 100m relay, 400m, 800m, 200m, and 2 mile. [At the last track meet of the series, on June 29, the final event will be a 5K (instead of the 2 mile). Participation in the 5K is limited, so pre-registration ($5) is required.] Details: E-mail Lana Torkildsen at piggytork@carolina.rr.com.

Registration for the 2010 Ridge to Bridge Marathon (Jonas Ridge to Brown Mountain Beach Resort in N.C.) opened Tuesday. Cap is 300 runners, and as of 9 p.m. Wednesday, 70 percent of the spots had been filled, according to the website. Ridge to Bridge is a downhill marathon; in 2008, 23 percent of entrants qualified for Boston. Race is Saturday, Oct. 30. Details: Click here.