5ks, 8ks, and 10ks. . . OH MY!

Some of us our still "marathoning" as late as June, but most of us are now moving on to shorter distances or even triathlons. The spring is a great time to have fun in shorter events. After months of building up your endurance, racing a 5k or a 10k is a great way to improve your speed.

Here are some shorter events that might interest you. Best of all they are all drivable.

• 02/23 Hearts on Franklin 5k - Chapel Hill - A small 5k that is this weekend in Chapel Hill. If you are ready to race, and have nothing planned. . . Sign up!
• 03/15 Shamrock 8k - Virginia Beach - Part of the Shamrock Marathon weekend. Get a new PR running an 8k (4.97 miles). Just a short drive to the beach. You can also go cheer Steve on in his marathon!
• 3/16 Hard Climb Hill Series - Durham - I can't find much information on this, but it sounds fun. It is put on by the Godiva Track Club. There are three races in Duke Forest. They are a 3, 7, and 10 mile option. Could be a fun event, and only costs five bucks.
• 03/29 Great Human Race - Durham - This race brings out about 500 runners annually. It has been run for 13 years now, so they should know what they are doing.
• 04/05 Cooper River Bridge - Charleston - Not the closest race, but one of the biggest 10ks around. Frank may be running, and Charleston is a great city to visit.
• 04/05 Monument Ave 10k - Richmond - Another big race, and lots of fun. Join 30,000+ runners on Monument Avenue in a six mile party!
• 04/05 Raleigh Rocks 5k - Raleigh - Don't feel like running the Half? Try the 5k instead. This new event could be fun with a "rock-and-roll" type atmosphere.
• 04/05 Tarboro Community 5k - Tarboro - Want to stay close to home and enjoy a small race? Check out this new event just 20 minutes away. Local events are always fun, and present a chance for age group awards. This race could really use runners like us to increase their entries.
• 04/12 Cary Road Race - Cary - This event has a 5k and 10k and has been running for 29 years. They also have a free fun run for kids, so it may be a good option for those of us with kids. About 700 runners do the 5k and 10k combined.
• 04/19 Capital City 10k - Raleigh - I know very little about this race, and their website tells you even less. It could be an interesting race, but it may also be a dud. Being in Raleigh, I still expect it would have a fair number of runners.
• 04/26 Skirt Chaser 5k - Raleigh - This still sounds like a fun race to me. It has an afternoon start which gives it some extra appeal, and it has a fun theme.
• 04/26 Angels Among Us 5k - Durham - This 5k runs through the Duke Campus, and had almost 700 finishers last year. This is for a great cause and also looks to be a family friendly race.

Whatever you decide, get out there and run a race! It does not matter how fast, or where you place. . . just do it. Racing is a great way to set goals and make your running fun. If you plan to run any races in the next few months, post a comment so others will know. You may end up not running alone.