‘I’m committed’: Around the Crown provides training program for first-timers

CHARLOTTE — Some people crossed the finish line for the first time ever on Sunday, and that includes a first-timer who trained for Around the Crown after thinking she’d be running side-by-side with a friend.

Dreia Hannibal has been training for Sunday for the last few months. She used to run more before giving birth to her four-year-old son.

But signing up for a 10K wasn’t her idea originally.

“A friend of mine was like, ‘Hey do the race with me,’ and I went ahead and paid. Then my friend says, ‘Hey I’m not going to make it,’ and I’m like oh OK, well I’m committed,” Hannibal told Channel 9′s Deneige Broom. “So a coworker was like, ‘You’re just going to jump straight into a 10K? Have you done a 5K?’ I said, ‘No I haven’t done a 5K, but we’ll see Sunday if I could do the 10.”

“So I’m here.”

She’s been using a training program provided by Around the Crown to get ready. For weeks, she’s pounded the pavement, and despite some aches here and there, she feels ready to see the Queen City in a new way.

“I had you know, a few muscle cramps here and there, reached out to some friends for some advice and they got me into some better stretching techniques.”

And Sunday will be a family affair because her son is running in the kids’ race.

“I’m ready to hit the highway, so wish me luck y’all,” Hannibal said.

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