Welcome to the website for the Chapel Hill / Carrboro Pacers Youth Running Club --
a healthy concern for 30 years running!

* Spring 2010 *

We have begun preparations for our Spring, 2010 season. Practices will begin Tuesday, March 16 and run through early June, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30 - 6:30, from UNC's Belk Track.

Boys and girls aged 7 - 18 are welcome to join the Pacers for a competitive edge, for exercise, or just for fun. Runners are grouped according to age and / or ability, with shorter runs tailored for beginners and more vigorous trail and campus runs for seasoned veterans.  Whatever your ability, we're simply looking forward to offering creative sessions which aim to instill a love of running as a lifetime sport.  Parents are always welcome and encouraged to join the runs!

As in past seasons, highlights include scavenger hunt runs, stadium workouts, on-track time trials for PRs, relay fun with UNC Club runners and our fellow Youth Club at Fleet Feet Carrboro, and our end-of-season pool party.  Weekly speakers also offer tips on such topics as running form, stretching, and hydration & nutrition during our stretching sessions at the beginning of each practice.  Runners will have the opportunity to join other Pacers in local races* or prepare for end-of-season USTAF Junior Olympic competitions, but the emphasis is always on fun and participation with the Pacers -- continually "on the run" since the 1970's!

To see a tentative schedule of important dates and activities, visit the Dates link.

Registration

Youngsters age 7 (or turning 7 during this current calendar year) through aged 18 may run, and the price is $70 for the first child, and $50 for additional siblings.  Due to the overwhelming growth of the Pacers over the past several seasons and the desire to sustain a safe and personalized program, we have limited the number of runners who may participate, as we did in 2009.  Our volunteer coach teams are committed to pursuing the mission and legacy of the Pacers: to instill in each and every participant a lifetime love of running.

Registration for Spring, 2010 will be electronic on a first-come, first-served basis, open initially in February to those who have participated in the past two seasons and / or signed up for the Pacers mailing list as of February 1, 2010. If, after priority registration, we have not reached capacity, registration will open in March to subsequent inquiries and to the general public, with additional sign-ups for a wait list. Please email meredith@bolons.com for information on scholarships or to be added to the Pacers mailing list.

Location & Tips

The Spring season will run from UNC's Belk Track, T/Th 5:30-6:30pm, late March through early June. Most groups will head to trails or campus, however the Greyhound group focusing primarily on sprinting and field events will often use the track area.

Adverse Weather:
If there are storms in the area, check your email.  We run in the rain! However, there must not be thunder or lightning within 20 minutes of the 5:30 practice start time. Generally, we'll try to make the call as to whether practice will go on as scheduled by 4:45 at the latest, based on area Doppler weather data. If in doubt, please call (919) 619-4565. 

Attire:
Runners must be appropriately attired in workout clothes and running shoes.  These shoes don't have to be $200 Nikes, but they must be athletic shoes suitable for running (not basketball shoes).  We support Fleet Feet Sports in Carrboro as our running community resource!

Hydration:
Though we'll have a cooler of Gatorade / sports drink available at the conclusion of each practice, there's only so much to go around, so please have your Pacer also bring a water bottle with their name on it. The importance of daily hydration increases as the spring progresses into hotter temperatures.

Family Involvement

Pacers culture enjoys and depends on the involvement of Pacer families: parents, caregivers, siblings, grandparents.  Not all are runners, but there are many opportunities. Here are some of the many of the ways family members help Pacers:

Coach Team & Contacts

The head coaches for the Pacers' Spring season are Meredith Bolon and Randy Young, and other familiar and new faces leading the pace groups will include Wendell Gilland, Jonathan Drake, Jennifer Woods, Harold Hill, Natalie & Morph Ames, Tina Clossick, Sonia Davis, Susan Pedersen, Rob Crook, Isabella Archer, Samantha Smith, Patti McKnight, and others, including members of the UNC Club Cross-Country Team.

For more information, sign up for the Pacers' email list by contacting Coach Meredith at meredith@bolons.com or (919)619-4565 or Coach Randy at ryoung1@email.unc.edu (919)967-0960, also Chair of the Pacer Board of Parents.

*Competitions are optional; we will have many non-competitive events throughout the season.