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Now, here are your hosts for the running
around Charlotte podcast,
Tim Rhodes and Dc casey.
Head to the start of most any event,
pop into most any running shop or join
in on more and more club runs, and
you'll see more faces, and paces, sizes, colors
and shapes of runners than ever before. That's
a beautiful thing for the running community and
for runners themselves
running has never been a more diverse universe,
and there's plenty of room to grow. People
of color make up an amazing 40 percent
of runners in the fast growing
18 to 24 age group. I'm gonna repeat
that because that's important.
40 percent of runners in the fast growing
18 to 24,
age group are now people of color. This
is an exciting
trend for running, of course, but also for
folks who can now see that the running
community is for them 2.
Like us and I'll get to the end
of this in a minute.
He's long intro, man. Like us, our next
guest on the show has seen that change
first hand here in Charlotte and the local
running scene.
And we... He's helping welcome new runners into
the community as a Nova health Charlotte marathon
ambassador. His name is Darius Moore.
You probably know him. And if you don't
know them, you've probably seen him around Darius
welcome to the show. How are you doing?
Doing great guys.
Appreciate. That was a great intro by the
way. Well, it's it's the longest. So you've
got a record now for the longest intro
on the running around trail podcast. Well deserved
that we're all time. Yeah. Well engineer.
Thank you. Thank you.
Like, I I'm not saying drew. I'm not
saying you're old, but
but you're old you're even. No. But you're...
But you're because I mean, Tim and I
old. But you're Og Charlotte running, man. And
if people don't know you yet.
It's like. They will. Right at some point.
So for for both of our list I'm
meet them. Exactly for both of our listeners
who don't know you yet. Go ahead and
tell us who you are and what you're
up to man.
Absolutely, man.
Right first off, I'm a avid runner. I
love what the community of running. I've been...
I'd say affiliated with the community about, 14,
15 years now.
First got started working with tim at room
for your life. And
I first met tim. I think at 1
of his races, and
I just wanted to learn, like, about the
industry and, like, what tools to use and
he was a great resource in that regard,
and
we were able to, grow some stores and
do some great things together, And then I've
also, worked with Crc,
and
they've been great over there and, you know,
they're growing as well.
So kind from that standpoint, I've coached cross
country, high school, middle school, I teach full
time middle school now.
So doing that, and I go to tons
of run clubs. I remember when
Not brewery had the only run Club in
Charlotte, and we were like.
Wow. Gosh. It was in saying. And I
remember being there, like, just represent Run for
your life I would set up a table.
You know, we market the races, market the
products and
we go run, and it was like a
race every Wednesday because of the numbers. Like,
it would look like 2 300 people sometimes
it's tiny little...
Water and hole right there on a og
g note.
And to now see, what is blossom into
is, like, you've got you know, numbers like
mad miles on Tuesdays, their numbers
phenomenal every single week. You've got
you wooden robot on Tuesdays, which is great
in South end. And I've seen them blow
up and great things over there. And then
I'm just seeing a community blow up from
Last say, the past 14, 15 years is
it's been outstanding.
That's amazing. Yeah. I mean, it's. And and
and there are.
Like, if if you can't find a group
to run with in Charlotte, you Nathan. Oh,
yeah.
They are every
Right? Every day in the week. Like you
say it used to be just on Wednesdays
and nod. And then there were a couple
more and they were like, yeah, Wednesday is
apparently, a run club day. And then Yep.
Slow not even slowly. It seemed like in
a matter of just a couple of years.
There was 1. Every night, and now there
are multiple
on every night. And now there... And now
they're starting to go, okay. Maybe the night
time is not the only time. Now there
are plenty of morning
running. Yeah. And it's like, wow. Mh. And
I think 1 of the coolest things about
it it's not only
to your point, if you're not... If you
can't find what you're not looking, but the
other point of that is
the number
and size and shape and color and diversity
of folks that are out there at these
run clubs at these races,
at the running stores and all that stuff,
it's really becoming more and more and more
and more reflective of the community
as a whole and not just
what people think the running community looks like.
Right?
Yeah.
Yeah. And that's been fun to see.
Because I do remember, like, once upon a
time before,
you know, we had entities like Black runs,
Yeah. And bad miles and... Run Latinos, and,
you know, the the efforts always there. Like,
I've worked with him on promoting races and
it... And it's never been, like, oh we
only go to certain neighborhoods. Or oh, we
only promote 30 bit. Yeah. Tim has always
been open to us,
going wherever we could fill a need. You
know, if if if if it was going
to bank of America and, you know, setting
up a table. I remember me, an old
manager Justin Ka goliath,
we went to alive at the 5, and
that was, like, basically a big party Yeah.
On the rooftop of the epicenter. And we
were marketing for room for your life and,
you know, marketing for at the time it
was thunder road and, you know, then Nova
came in and we got the Charlotte marathon,
but, you know,
we've always again tried to
diversify, And I've always tried to... You know,
put that at the forefront. And because I
know what it did for me. I know
what running did for me and being a
part of community did for me health wise,
and I just always wanna, you know, show
people like, look, there is another way. And
I love, you know, what I'm seeing. And,
like I said, you see all these big
groups coming up and everybody kinda together and
Charlotte Running club themselves kinda being more, but,
Mh. I think we'll being more involved in
the community as well. And because I remember
being on the board years ago, and we
were... Again, trying to push for those things.
And now I think, seeing it happen is
like, huge. Like those little shook green way,
runs they put together a magnificent,
and now they go to the north side
on Mall la Creek Green and those are
huge. So It's really... It's really nice to
see all the options that are coming out.
Yeah. And and in and and when Tim
and I were at,
running Usa back in January,
you know, there was a lot of talk
about,
and a lot of speakers that were talking
about, you know,
how you have to change and how you
have to, you know, not change about how
you
see what you're doing,
but how you have to actually do some
things to Mh. Let other people know that
they're welcome here. And it's... But even super
simple things. Like, hey, if
I don't see myself as a person of
color as a woman or
you know, person who's gender fluid or whatever.
If I don't see myself even in the
marketing
of
what you're talking about, then I'm probably gonna
see myself in real life,
at an event or at your store or
at your run club or whatever. And I
think, mh. You know,
the industry kind of being more cognizant of
that
at the same time, with,
you know, with...
I hate to keep I don't use the
word with the pandemic. You know, it's like...
And and so many people coming to running,
I think this...
Is such an incredible time for, especially for
people like you who've put in the work
for 14, 15 years. They you're like. Now
that change is coming.
Oh, yeah. And and some of it's here
right now. Like, Tim said with the, you
know, 40 percent of,
you know, runners in a very desirable age
bracket, which speaks volumes for the future of
running that 40 percent of that growing age
bracket is people of color.
Yeah. That's an amazing step.
Yeah. I gotta cure back.
We just school about it Right It's like
it's like it looks like
and those are those are things that that
speak to, you know, everything that's going on,
you know, as far as... What the community
that Charlotte is not,
you know,
any different from a lot of fast growing
communities in that it's not just,
you know,
1 kind of person moving here. It's all
kinds of people moving here. All colors, all
shapes and sizes, all, you know,
potentially interested in wanting to persist participate in
the running community. Right? Yep. Oh, yeah. When
people wanna belong. You know, I think that,
you know, it's the bottom line of it
people wanna feel like they belong to something
and they're safe and Yeah. They're seeing and
they're valued.
And if you can give them simple things
like that. I, you know, I think that
goes
miles.
Yeah. No pun data. Goes miles. That's right.
Yep. So
I, you know, and III... You know, we
talk about the the health benefits and and,
you know, for the African American community and
the latino community there Summit additional,
health risks, you know, with diabetes and other
other things that III just think it's so
important for
for everyone to be able to have an
opportunity to your point, it's not just I
wanna go run. It's I wanna belong to
a community I want somebody to smile
when I show up and say, I'm glad
you're here. Thanks for coming back. So, you
know, you opening those doors for people to
walk through and walk into a community. I...
I'm... I mean, I see it happen in
the Mad miles, black men run black,
girls run. I mean, it's just...
I... I'm proud of it. I I don't
have a ton to do with it, but
I I'm proud of it because
because it means something to our community.
Yep.
And it connects on that personal level. Right?
I mean, you're you're...
You're
giving value
and credibility to somebody. You're affirming like, hey.
I'm glad you're here. You belong.
I don't care what color you are. I
don't care what shape you are. I don't
care how fast you run. I don't care
if you walk. I'm glad you're here.
Yeah. And I think those are the bigger
things. Like, when you talk about the pioneers
of, you know, the running community right now,
Like, the future in really good hands where
know, again, you know, like, we started to
show. We're kind of Og geez in this
game. We've been doing it a long time.
You guys longer than me, of course. But
you just watching people, and I, you know,
drop a few names. Again, Corn Jones would
be Bad miles. It's done a fantastic job.
Cj Lang, who is again, on the board
of Directors of Crc. You got Eric Smith.
You've got
they have Dan. You got Angela Angela.
Don't wanna mess her last name but she
leaves run for midtown with me. Angela Nap.
Yes. Mh.
And you you got the morning run club,
which is an all female layer run club.
I forget the lady leave that. But you
have all these leaders and to look at
them and,
and how passionate they are, and we didn't
see these faces, you know, 14, 15 years
ago, but they're coming in. They're coming in.
They're coming in strong. They're coming in, well
equipped, well informed,
and it's really exciting to see. Like, it's
really, like me.
I remember when I was doing it and
they it was just all about, you know,
getting to the start line, training good, get
to the start line, you know, maybe we
hang out at a store or brewery every
once in a while, but
I don't think we had is... I don't
think the comrade
was as,
what can I say as extensive as this?
Like, I don't think we Brent we
we were network as well. We were cohesive.
Were like... I think we were a little
more competitive in that way, where I remember
meeting with, you know, people like Billy shoe
and him man when he first got here
and jeff Barb and we would run, you
know, more hit or we made at deal
work, and
the Ryan Mills of the world and I
remember, what 5 are, and we would run
and, you know, you'd be super fast every
Saturday. And Oh, no. And now it it
feels like it's more family. Now it feels
like, you know, people are haven't. Kids now
allowed you got Franklin Keith lee and Paula
P. Mh. You know, with their future Olympia
that'll that are coming out. And, you know,
I'm having a kid now. I mean, he
tim prices. Tim practically watching me raised bread
in his stores, you know what Judy too.
So it's like, even for him to like,
hit. I know how it is, but pretend
like hit. Oh, man Had another 1, like...
Be doing it again. Yeah. Because he watched
me with Brie. I was always so, hands
on with her and, not for nothing, Tim.
I saw, you know, you with your family,
and I saw others with theirs and
you know,
just 2 great dads right now on the
podcast respect for you guys.
And so watching you guys, Was like, yeah,
I gotta really
being my daughter's ear. Like I gotta be
with her. I gotta check on and she
would come out. And, you know, So now
I'll get to do it again, and, you
know, she'll be raised around some great
great great runners and incredible runner kids too.
I think you brought up a good point,
and I think there was a time
not so long ago where
Charlotte was a little bit
tribal and territorial with their clubs. Like,
I run with this club, but I can't
go run with that club. I shop at
this store, but I can't shop at that
store. I... I'm with this training group, but
I won't... And it was competitive, and it
was a little bit. Of rivalry, and I
I don't know that that served our running
community well, and I always
felt like there was this tension
that didn't belong in the equation. And it's
like, I'm so glad to hear you say
that now
some of that competitiveness has been set aside
for the betterment running me. I think we
all all all thrive when we try to
support each other So I I think that's
a good thing. I'm glad to hear that.
Yeah. III mean, I have to take accountability
just being... Sure. From that air or, like,
I definitely felt that way. Like, I wouldn't...
If I felt like, okay, I've got my
run club on Wednesday, I'm probably not gonna
go to another 1. Yeah. You know what
I mean Just Yeah. You know?
And
yeah, that was a problem. Like, we should've
we should have hopped on this thing, you
know, way earlier, but... You know, again, it's
here, and it's it's a beautiful thing that's
happening. And,
you know, especially at the races when you
watch, you our pacing teams, like our pacing
teams are so solid and they're, they're all
pivotal in the growth of the community. If
you look at the faces of our pace
now.
At Lisa Land and Eric's... You know, Eric
Smith are doing a great job with that.
Yeah, man. It's it's it's wonderful to see.
It's wonderful to see Yeah. I wanna change
the focus a little bit. I wanna talk
about you. You you're running.
I see you I see you out. And
I'm out ride my bike measure course horse
doing whatever.
Invariably I run into you with your... 1
of your training groups or whatever, but you
run a lot of races too, and you've
had a chance to run not just in
or North America, but in other
countries and continents,
tell us tell us some of your highlights.
I'd I'd brag on yourself there for a
minute.
A little bit. Yeah. I... Okay.
Reg on me.
So I've done
did Tokyo this year. That was a big
1 for me. Wow. In Tokyo was always
been like a bucket listings since I was
a kid just being into a anime. And
Finding...
I think because I grew up, you know,
in the city youth in Charlotte, like, the
introduction of Anime was kinda like that escape
like, I wasn't doing a ton of traveling
at that age.
So that, you know, that was nice. And
the culture was amazing. Like, it was a
trip that I would... I've I've echoed it,
I would suggest to any.
It was it was simply amazing. I wish
I had more time. I was able to
get maybe a week over there,
but it was great. I ran my race.
It wasn't the best time, but
it was because I was having a good
time. If I would've went there to, like,
race it, I don't think I would've enjoyed
it as much. Yeah.
So I was happy with my... I I
went think 03:56,
maybe 03:57.
But
You know, it was a good time. I
love Japan, and then I've done...
What I was done New York. I've done
Chicago.
I've done grandma, which I... I like that
1 because I've got my 2 fast marathon
times at grandma's in duluth, Minnesota.
I just went up there and worked for,
destination marathons.
What was that last weekend. I was up
there. You we worked the race and had
a great time.
The Olympic trial champion, Dakota
Win Lin.
Lin Lin. Yep. So she's been with us
The past 2 times I've gone in race
and then she was with us this year
and her goal is to go sub 01:10
and a half, and she got, like, a
01:08.
And some change. So... Have ridiculous man.
Yeah. At least she was out there. My
god.
Oh,
yeah.
And brag, just to brag on her. She
had, like, Kt tape on her ham. I'm
like, man. She's she's I hip pushing,
it was great to see her at, like,
mile,
think I saw at my 11.211
0.3.
But, yeah, I run... I do love my
races, man. I'm trying to get all 6
majors. I, I should have Berlin in September
on the 20 ninth.
So I'll be doing that. I'm a actually
raising money for a
What is it a wildlife?
What's going on altogether? For a wildlife
conservation effort. And,
What are we doing with that? Oh, I
went vegetarian. And that's I was linking this
in. So April first, I went vegetarian to
support that, and I'm raising money for that
so I can go to the Berlin.
And I'll run that September 20 ninth. Right
on, man. Make sure you send me the
link on that. We'll put it in the
show notes so folks can check on that
as well, man. Awesome. Thank you. I would...
Donate money to Darius is
cause there and help them get to Berlin.
Exactly. Alright. I appreciate you guys, ma'am. It's
totally, man.
Well... And and that's... And and as it
relates to that, I I wanna get back
to the the... The 10000 foot topic real
quick before we let you run though. It's
like, it's like it's like for somebody like
you who has been doing the the hand
to hand combat on, you know, blurb like
you said, 14 15 years of bringing new
people into the fold.
You know, that's
that's 1 thing. And then, you know, this
is 1 of the positives of
social media is
folks can... Without even being there,
they can see themselves
at these races, at these run clubs, at
these events,
and go, you know what?
People like darius weren't kidding. I really
can see myself and should see myself at
stuff like that. That's gotta make that's gotta
make
a dude like you who's Thank you Said
done the done the boots on the ground
work feel Like, see, I told you y'all.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah. I mean, especially thinking, you know,
I'm a Charlotte. And I'm local from here,
My family goes back generations and,
you know, the thing, the the status quo
were all unicorns. Like, oh, you guys are
so rare.
Soon as they find that I'm from here.
And I'm like yeah. Like I can still
show you where my my mom's, mom's house,
my grandmother's house is, she lived in 49
years. Wow. So I can... I've lived,
all over the city and, you know, being
from here. And I remember,
again, 14, 15 years ago trying to gal,
you the city in some way, at least
people of color a way of to come
to these events because I fell in love
with it. And I was like, I know
this is right. Like, I know this is
healthy. Know this will benefit them. I just
don't know how... Because, again, I wasn't
a big social light in school. So it
wasn't like I was like, the most popular
guy. I was just like,
I knew people, and people got along with
me and I knew I was charismatic to
an extent, but I didn't know how to
gal when I was groups will. And so
I end up going to college and I
took public speaking courses,
while I was working around free life, and
that helped, So I think that's what helped
me, like, start my own run clubs and
help support others and start to do those
things, but it was still difficult to
go to my neighborhood, try to reach out
to
entities like park and rick and try to
show them the value in what I was
doing,
and still
make a living because I've got bills to
pay. Have I've got a new wife, and
I've got my daughter, and I've got my
step daughter
and it was just tough to figure out
how that...
What what those happy mediums were. Damn.
But now that I'm seeing, like, I mean...
Again to your point, I loved seeing it.
And it was so so worth to work,
and I know it's I know it's gonna
be great going forward,
seeing indeed, and it's great having you on
board, dude, and I'm so excited that you're
again, part of the Nova Hell charlotte ambassador
squad.
Appreciate, man. Yeah. Thank you, Darius. Speak too
him.
Thank you guys. Thank brother. Thanks for taking
the time today, buddy. See you later. Alrighty.
Yeah you have a great day. Alright, man.
The running around Charlotte podcast is presented by
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