The Charlotte Marathon is under new management. Charlotte Sports Foundation CEO Will Pitts announced Tuesday that his organization is taking ownership from local race organizer RunCharlotte, and will work on growing the marathon in coming years.
"Our city truly comes alive for this event, and we look forward to continuing to build that tradition and using this platform to really show the best of our community," Pitts said.
The Charlotte Marathon has become one of the city’s signature races since it began 20 years ago as the Thunder Road Marathon. Novant Health is expected to remain as lead sponsor. The Charlotte Sports Foundation also said it will retire its annual Meck Mile race this year to devote more resources to the marathon.
The 2025 Charlotte Marathon was the largest in its history, with over 11,000 runners.
The Thunder Road Marathon name paid homage to the city’s close relationship with NASCAR. It was renamed the Charlotte Marathon in 2015, adding Novant Health as the title sponsor in 2016.
“The Novant Health Charlotte Marathon is more than a race, it’s a celebration of our city, its neighborhoods and the people who show up for each other,” said Will Pitts, CEO of the sports foundation, in a statement. “We’re honored to be at the helm of an event with such deep community roots and excited to invest in its future in a way that reflects Charlotte’s momentum and ambition.”
