Local

Mad Miles Run Club founder aims for diversity at Around the Crown 10K

CHARLOTTE — While you might not see a swarm of thousands of people running through Uptown Charlotte every weekend, you can find a big pack running every Monday, Tuesday and Saturday.

The Mad Miles Run Club brought 140 people to run Around the Crown on Sunday, but it started with a passionate goal from Cornell Jones.

Jones ran track and cross country at Winston-Salem State. He says he launched Mad Miles Run Club to make sure more people like him were seen at the finish line.

“My first year at Around the Crown, it was the same thing. I was in the corral, and I looked to my left and I looked to my right, and I was like alright, I can probably count the Black people on my hand,” Jones said. “The running scene around the world looks very different. It’s very mixed, it’s very young, old Black, white, it’s everything.”

With over 100 people in his group for this year’s Around the Crown, Jones is now aiming higher and hopes to take their mission outside the Queen City.

“We love Charlotte, we love representing in Charlotte, but our next steps are going to places like Chicago Marathon, where we have 10 people signed up, New York Marathon, Tokyo Marathon, all the world majors, and representing what Mad Miles, what Charlotte is,” Jones said.

You can meet up with Mad Miles weekly. Get information at this link.

(WATCH: Grandmother-granddaughter duo hope to inspire others to participate in Meck Mile)

0