Charity Chase Half Marathon & 5k

Today, the number of runners taking part in the race has more than doubled, as have the donations received, which are distributed to all of the charities and nonprofit organizations that volunteer for the race each year. Visitors to this part of western North Carolina may already be familiar with its importance to the furniture industry, as the Hickory Furniture Mart has been a mecca for shoppers for decades, and helped build the city, which now is home to more than 40,000 residents. The course for the race begins and ends in downtown Hickory at Union Square, with a 7:00 AM starting time — as the race organizers put it, “just as the sun is coming up.” From there, the course takes runners north through the city, past Oakwood Cemetery and later through the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University before coming back into downtown along Main Avenue.