Columns

By David Freeze

When we think of the Catawba College campus on a Sunday afternoon, first thoughts probably include peaceful and quiet. This Sunday will be quite different! The Indians baseball team will be playing at noon in the third game of their first series of the season. And about the same time, nearly 400 runners from at least seven states will descend on campus for the New Sarum Brewing 40th Annual Winter Flight 8K, 5K and Fun Run. Peaceful and quiet will exit until the game and races are complete.

If you’re new to watching races, especially one of the oldest and best in the state, here are a few tips. Especially on this day, parking around the baseball and football stadium, the finish area for all the races, will be at a premium. As I said, the game starts at noon, but the races start later. My suggestion is to park somewhere else on campus and walk down to the stadium.

Here’s the schedule. The fun run at 1:30 p.m. is open to any age and is set for the track inside Shuford Stadium. The distance is a half mile, approximately two laps around the track. Mostly dominated by kids, 12 and under, this will be a mad dash back to the finish line that’s worth seeing.

Next at about 1:55 p.m., Neal Wilkinson will sing his rousing national anthem just ahead of the wheelchair start at 1:58 p.m. About seven racing wheelchairs with special needs children as riders will be pushed by strong adult legs as they get a head start on the rest of the field. They will start in front of the Goodman Gym.

Then comes the main start for most of the competitors. All participants in the 8K and 5K races will officially start at 2 p.m. from that same Goodman Gym location.

Once the races start, tremendous energy will remain in the area as the runners and walkers follow their courses before all 5Kers and 8Kers return to finish on the track inside Shuford Stadium. A popular vantage point is Catawba’s homeside football seating. Names of participants can be heard from the stadium announcer as they loop about 3/4 of the track before crossing the actual finish line. Most participants push as hard as they can once they reach the track and then on to the finish.

The historic and competitive 8K (4.97 miles) leaves Catawba on Yost Street and then turns right on Statesville Boulevard. Then another right on Milford Drive until the course joins Jake Alexander Extension. Next comes another right on U.S. Hwy. 601/Innes Street before entering Catawba’s campus again on North Park Drive before a left on Yost and a sharp right turn into the stadium for the finish. Finding a safe place to park along the course gives spectators a unique opportunity to see the runners pass by. It’s also a great way to encourage them.

Notable runners to watch are China Grove’s Jonathan Martin and England native and current Charlotte resident Luke Greer. Both are in their mid-20s and should be at or near the front of the pack. One of Winter Flight’s favorite runners is 93-year-old Dr. Dick Rosen of Greensboro who will be trying to set a record for the 90-94 age group. Runners coming from the farthest distance at press time were Michael Zachow of Bemidji, Minnesota and Cindy Moser of Wilton, Connecticut.

Awards for all races will be announced inside Goodman Gym starting with the 5K winners about 3:20 p.m. and will conclude when all participants have finished.

The awards ceremony is free and open to anyone. Spectating is free, but registration for all the Winter Flight races remains open until about 1:45 p.m. on Sunday, both online and in person. All proceeds go to Rowan Helping Ministries.

For additional information, go to www.salisburyrowanrunners.org or www.runsignup.com. You can also call 704-310-6741.

By David Freeze

Always a very special effort by a quality athlete is needed to win the very competitive Winter Flight 8K, and most often, the winners have to travel a ways to come to Salisbury to race. This hasn’t been the case with the male winner over the last three years since China Grove brothers, twins Matthew and Jonathan Martin, have taken the last three titles.

Matthew just happens to be getting married during the same weekend and will miss the race, but Jonathan is back to defend his title from last year. Jonathan ran the historic rolling course in 24 minutes, 35.45 seconds, a 4 minute 56 second average.

Jonathan, 27, currently lives in Charlotte with his wife Jasmine and dog Pumpkin. He said, “I grew up in China Grove and attended Carson High School. I had a fairly unorthodox start to my running career, essentially using it as a way to condition myself as a tennis player and to lose weight in high school. From there, I developed a passion for training and racing, and eventually earned a roster spot on the UNC Pembroke cross country and track teams. The rest is history! I’ll also mention that my twin brother Matthew has had an almost identical running career to my own.”

Jonathan lists his greatest running/racing experiences so far as getting to compete at the 2018 NCAA D2 cross country championship and running his current half marathon PR of 1:07:30 in Myrtle Beach in 2020.

I asked Jonathan what he does when not racing or training. He said, “My hobbies and interests really overlap with my passion for running. I am the manager over at Fleet Feet Charlotte and I am extremely passionate about the run specialty industry. When I’m not running, I love to travel and explore new places with my wife.”

Goals are always on a competitive runner’s mind. Jonathan wants to continue to set personal bests in the 5K, 10K and half marathon distances while simultaneously trying to qualify for the United States Olympic Trials in the marathon in 2024 or 2028. He will be running his first marathon in Chicago this October.

The 40th Annual New Sarum Brewing Winter Flight races are next Sunday, Feb. 5. Jonathan said, “Winter Flight is special to me due to it being my “hometown” race. I love coming back to Rowan County to reconnect with everyone! I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention how historically competitive the race is!”

Registration will remain open for all three races, the 8K, 5K and half-mile fun run, through several avenues. Online registration is at www.runsignup.com, and anyone can print off the registration brochure and mail it in through Thursday by going to www.salisburyrowanrunners.org. Race day registration will be held inside Goodman Gym at Catawba College on Sunday from noon until 10 minutes before race time. The fun run starts at 1:30 p.m., a large group of wheelchairs will roll off at 1:58 p.m. and the competitive 8K and 5K health run/walk officially start at 2 p.m.

All participants in the 8K and 5K get long sleeve high quality dri-fit commemorative T-shirts. Awards will be given to the overall and age group winners in the 8K and 5K. The 8K also serves as the North Carolina State Championship 8K. Any age runners and walkers can participate in the half-mile fun run as well. That event is free, and runners, 12 and under, will be eligible for awards, but every finisher will get a participation medal.

As part of the 40th anniversary event, a Winter Flight shirt contest continues until race time. Any runner or volunteer who wears one of the previous 39 year’s commemorative shirts, not already claimed on the website, is eligible for a $250 race day raffle. To participate in the contest, an entrant must wear the shirt for a photo and contact race officials to do so. To enter the shirt contest, for more information on Winter Flight and any other event, go to www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.