About

The City of Oaks Marathon will showcase what runners long have celebrated as one of the Southeast's best places to run. The race is coordinated by Raleigh Running Outfitters (RRO) and a team of enthusiastic Team RRO runners, family, sponsors, and friends. The race brings marathon running to North Carolina's capital, highlighting its beautiful landscape and colorful, majestic oak trees in peak fall season.

About the Race

Raleigh is often described as "a park with a city in it." The marathon will take runners through the city's downtown core, which has undergone a $2 billion renaissance, and over serene trails of the 5,400-acre William B. Umstead Park. From urban renewal to protected forestland, runners will experience what Forbes considers the #6 Best City for Singles and #2 Best City for Business, and one of Runner's World Great Destinations Off the Beaten Path.

A figure 8-shaped course, this 26.2-mile route allows the Marathon and Half Marathon to offer something for everyone. Gentle, rolling terrain starts the course from Centennial Campus of N.C. State University. Continuing toward downtown Raleigh,the race passes through historic residential neighborhoods, the newly-reopened Fayetteville Street, the N.C. State Capitol, trendy Glenwood South entertainment district, and the oak tree-lined Cameron Village enclave. The race continues past Meredith College and the N.C. State University College of Veterinary Medicine before the half marathoners turn around and head back to N. C. State University and to the finish.

Marathoners are in for a treat as the second half of the course ventures into famous Umstead State Park. Weaving through forest on a bike-and-bridle trail, racers will experience a favorite route for local runners -- untouched woodland. Returning past the newly renovated N.C. Museum of Art, marathoners will reunite with the half marathoners at the N.C. State Fairgrounds and venture back towards N. C. State University. Runners will enjoy a half-mile downhill finish as they re-enter Centennial Campus, where they will accept their prize and begin to rest their feet.

About the Race Committee

Ben Hannas, Race Director

Ben began running in high school and has continued competing through college and beyond. Hailing from Northern Virginia, he ran track and cross country at Lynchburg College in southern Virginia before moving to Raleigh for grad school. Ben has run nine marathons to date, including a personal best of 2:45. When not running, Ben is a data analyst for a local company in Raleigh, but also helps out at Raleigh Running Outfitters on the weekends. Ben became the race director in 2010 after working as Course/Race Management Director for the first three years of the race.

Jerry Beckman, Co-Facilities Director & Co-Marketing Director

Jerry has been running for Team RRO for the past year. He's been running competitively for four years and has run 12 marathons, including Chicago, the Marine Corps, Disney, Nashville, Anchorage and the local Umstead marathon. He has also run 11 half marathons, including the Rock'n Roll in Va. Beach, Disney, and the Victory Junction Gang race. In January of 2006 he completed the Disney Goofy Challenge by running the half marathon on Saturday and the full marathon on Sunday. He also enjoys participating in many local 5K and 10K races as well. When not running you may find him somewhere in the Appalachians, Rockies or High Sierras hiking across a mountain top, conducting business as the South Atlantic Operations manager for an international engineering firm or spending time with his wife, Ingrid, and their two dogs.

Robb Hamilton, Co-Marketing Director

Robb has been a member of Team RRO for since 2004. He started competitive running in honor of his grandmother as an Arthritis Foundatation Joints in Motion team member at the 2001 Dublin Marathon. While Robb prefers local runs around Raleigh's greenways and parks, his race history includes the Richmond Marathon, Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach, Carrabas Half Marathon in Raleigh, and numerous local races. A runner through and through, Robb even chose his dog based on its running ability. He and his Italian Greyhound, Montee, hit the pavement together whenever the weather is right. Robb calls it running. Montee considers it a brisk walk. When not running, Robb earns his keep as a web designer/developer.

Greg Jackson, Co-Facilities Director

Greg has enjoyed running throughout his life, but didn't get serious about running until eight years ago. Since 1999, he's run countless 5Ks and 10Ks, including the Cooper River Bridge Run, Peachtree Road Race, Wakefield 5K, and The Old Reliable Run. He extended his distance running with half marathons and finally marathons, including New York Marathon, Philadelphia Marathon, the Cannonball Run, and the VA Beach Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon. He is now a member of the Raleigh Running Outfitters Team and, since joining, has consistently set new PRs. He says that Raleigh is by far his favorite place in the country to run because it offers so much variety in the way of trails, weather, and terrain. Greg works for a UK based medical device company as an Extended Care Representative covering Central NC.

Carolyn Micheels, Media Director

Carolyn is a Co-Owner of Raleigh Running Outfitters and serves as the store’s Online Sales/Marketing Manager. Originally a rower, Carolyn made the transition to running 13 years ago and has been dedicated to training and racing since then. Her background in race management includes 5 years as Media Chair for the prestigious Cow Harbor 10K Race in Northport, NY. Her own experience with marathons/half marathons includes an attempt at the Virginia Beach Shamrock Marathon, which she completed in 3:43, and a Long Island Half Marathon personal best of 1:38.

Jim Micheels, Expo Director

Jim Micheels is Owner of Raleigh Running Outfitters and a City of Oaks Race Director. He has been an impassioned runner and racer for the last 20+ years. He has run over 20 marathons, his favorite distance, and clocked a personal best of 2:28. After a professional career in Human Resources Management, he turned his love for running into a career. He gained invaluable experience in the running specialty industry when he worked and ran for the Runner's Edge in Farmingdale, NY. He then ventured south to pursue opening his own shop. After only a few years of business, he has been awarded a number of industry-coveted awards and national recognition for his shop.

Dwayne Patterson, MD, Medical Coordinator

Dwayne is a practicing physician of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and has been with Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic since 1997.  After running in high school, he began running and racing again in 2006.  He has run more than a dozen marathons so far and has been running with team RRO since 2008.

John Podolak, Co-Sponsorship Director & Co-Post-Race Event Director

John began his running career in Ann Arbor, MI in 1998, as a preventive health measure. Bit by the marathon bug in 1999, John has since become a full-time running addict. John transferred to Raleigh, NC with IBM, and is in his 29th year with the company, in an Administrative Staff position. As a team member with Raleigh Running Outfitters, John satisfies his running passion by participating in weekly training sessions with fellow RRO teammates, along with solo runs with his Australian Shepherd, Nellie. The marathon is John's favorite event, with 14 marathons and a PB of 03:00:24 to his credit. When not running, John enjoys a wide range of outdoor activities and time with his family.

Devin Swann, Beneficiary Director & Elite Athlete Coordinator

Devin is a semi-professional runner, a member of the Raleigh Running sales team, and a personal running coach. Devin is one of the region's top runners, with a 10K PR of 30:25 and a passion for competing. Devin ran for N.C. State, the school from which he earned his degree in business management in 2005. He specialized in cross-country/5K/10K and competed in the NCAA championships. Since then, Devin has won such races as the 2005 Raleigh Grand Prix Series and the 2005 Savannah River Bridge Run, and he continues to improve his times.