North Carolina bookends its Saturday with a 100K ride first thing Saturday morning in Raleigh and a pair of runs in the evening, a marathon at the coast and an 8K in the mountains.

Coast

If you just looked at your watch and thought, “Holy cow! Is there still time to qualify for the Boston Marathon!?” the answer is “yes.” Thanks to Saturday’s Last Chance for Beantown Marathon there is indeed one last chance (or one of several last chances, actually) to qualify for Boston 2014. Not only is this a flat marathon (it’s mostly through the Summerhouse community north of Wilmington) but it’s also in the cool of the night, starting at 7:30 p.m. (you must finish by 12:30 a.m.)

Logistics: Saturday, Aug. 24, 7:30 p.m. $80. At the Summerhouse community north of Wilmington. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Daytime high of 84, cooling to 68 overnight. 60 percent chance of rain.

Piedmont

Our friends at Trek Raleigh are sponsoring the 4th Annual Five-O Memorial Bicycle Ride this Saturday. The 50K and 100K routes will both explore North Raleigh and rural northern Wake County. Rest stops, SAG support and lunch at the end of the ride! Proceeds benefit the Raleigh Police Memorial Foundation.

Logistics: Saturday, Aug. 24, 100K begins at 7:30 a.m., 50K at 8:30 a.m., walk up registration begins a half hour before each event. $35. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 84 and sunny.

Mountains

Here’s another night run, the Maggie Valley Moonlight 8K Race and Sunset Fun Run. It begins at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds, goes 1.2 miles up the valley to Ghost Town, goes 2.4 miles in the “opposite direction,” then returns to the Festival Grounds. The Sunset Fun Run is confined to the FG.

Logistics: Saturday, Aug. 24, 7:30 p.m. $35. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Daytime high of 79 cooling to 61 overnight. 70 percent chance of rain.

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Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.

The post This weekend: Ride in the morning, run at night appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

This late summer weekend the great hiking is at the coast and the paddle festival is in the mountains. Crazy, eh?

Coast

Think fall hiking and you typically think of the coast. But Saturday at 10:30 one of the weekend’s best guided hikes will be at the Rachel Carson Reserve. Sponsored by the NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort, the hike is a rare opportunity to learn about life on this barrier island.

Logistics: 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 15. $15. More info here.

Saturday forecast: 82, 20 percent chance of rain.

Piedmont

Did you know Greensboro has a Downtown Greenway? It’s a four-mile loop that wraps around downtown — or will, when it’s done. To raise awareness of the greenway as well as funds to make it happen, join in Saturday’s Run 4 The Greenway 8K on a route approximating the greenway’s path. Not up for the entire route? There’s a 1 Mile Walk/Run as well. Best of all: You needn’t get up at the crack of dawn for this race — it starts at 5:15 p.m.

Logistics: Saturday, Sept. 15, $35. Registration begins at 3 p.m., the fun run at 4:45 p.m., the 8K at 5:15 p.m. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 81, cloudy.

Mountains

Celebrate being on the water while it’s still warm enough. This weekend, for instance, at the 9th Annual Catawba RiverFest at Lake James State Park. Live music, vendors, lake tours, canoe and kayak racing, demos — lots to do between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Logistics: Free, Saturday, Sept. 15, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Lake James State Park. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 81, becoming overcast as the day wears on.

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Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

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The post This weekend: Hike, run, paddle appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Perhaps you’re thinking, “Hmm, I run 5 miles I can eat guilt-free for the rest of the day. Maybe this guy is on to something.” If that logic works to motivate you, then lace up and keep the fork and knife warming up at home. But the healthy effects of starting this particular day with a run could have widespread benefits. Consider the implications, based on research out of Vanderbilt University.

• “Running helps lower blood pressure by maintaining the elasticity of the arteries.” That could come in handy watching your beloved Lions in their annual Thanksgiving debacle. Not to mention coping with your mother-in-law’s running commentary on how dinner is (or isn’t) progressing.
• “Running also helps maximize the lungs’ potential, as it keeps them strong and powerful.” Good lung potential: Again, with yelling for/at your beloved Lions and with your obligatory defense in defending dinner to “mom.”
• “Running strengthens the heart and helps prevent heart attacks.” Again, with the Lions, again, with “mom.”
• But most significantly: “Running does not increase appetite. In fact, exercise tends to diminish it, acting as a suppressant.” That means not only will you not wake up with a giblet hangover Friday morning, you’ll have leftovers to last a week.

Trots and runs: make them an integral part of your Thanksgiving.

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Here’s a rundown of Thanksgiving Day trots and runs in North Carolina:

Coast & Coastal Plain

Boiling Springs
Ruby C. Hunt YMCA 13th Annual Turkey Trot 5K Run and Walk
Where: Ruby C. Hunt YMCA.
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Races: 5K
More info here.

Duck
15th Annual Advice 5K Turkey Trot
Where: Advice 5-cent B&B
Time: 9 a.m.
Races: 5K
More info here.

Goldsboro
Goldsboro YMCA Turkey Trot 5k
Where: Goldsboro YMCA
Time: 8 a.m.
Races: 5K, 1-mile kids fun run (8:15 a.m.)
More info here.

Wrightsville
6th Annual Turkey Trot
Where: Wrightsville Beach Town Park and Gazebo
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Races: 2.4-mile main event, 2.4-mile or 1-mile Gobbler Family Fun Walk.
More info here

Piedmont

Charlotte
5th Annual Lake Norman Turkey Trot 5K, 10K & Half Marathon
Where: Gold’s Gym, Cornelius
Time: 7:40 a.m.
Races: 5K, 10K (7:35 a.m. start), half marathon (7:30 a.m. start)
More info here.

Triad

Greensboro
Greensboro Gobbler
Where: Country Park
Time: 9 a.m.
Races: 5K, 1.5-mi. Dog Jog and Youth Run (8:30 a.m.)
More info here.

Winston-Salem
Turkey Strut 5-K
Where: Reynolds High School
Time: 9 a.m.
Races: 5K, 1-mile fun run (8:30 a.m.)
More info here

Triangle

Cary

Turkey Trot
Where: Inside-Out Sports
Time: 9 a.m.
Races: 8K, 1-mile fun run (8:30 a.m.), 100-yard kids dash (10 a.m.)
More info here

Raleigh
Ridgewood Turkey Trot
Where: Ridgewood Shopping Center
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Races: 8K, 1-mile fun run (8 a.m.), Kid’s Dash (9:45 a.m.)
More info here

Wake Forest
Gobbler’s Run
Where: Downtown Wake Forest
Time: 8 a.m.
Races: 5K
More info here

Mountains

Asheville
Turkey Trot 5K
Where: Carrier Park
Time: 9 a.m.
Races: 5K
More info here

The post Start Thanksgiving with trots and runs appeared first on GetGoing NC!.