Second Empire Grand-Prix Announces Two March Races

RALEIGH, N.C. (February 26, 2010)—The Second Empire Grand-Prix (secondempireseries.com) will include two March races as part of its spring series—the WakeMed Cary Distance Festival on March 6 and the Run for the Oaks 5K on March 13. Both races are USATF-sanctioned and will raise money for local North Carolina charities.

Benefiting the Cary Rotary Club, the WakeMed Cary Distance Festival will start at 9 a.m. in front of the BB&T Building in downtown Cary. It includes a 5K and 10K race, however, only 10K participants will earn Grand-Prix points. The Run for the Oaks begins at 8:30 a.m. in downtown Raleigh’s City Market. It will feature a 5K and children’s fun run, and will benefit the City of Raleigh Neighborwoods Program.

“We are thankful for the tremendous community support for each and every race,” says Kim Reynolds, Second Empire owner and founder of the Grand-Prix. “The sustained success of the series helps area charities fulfill their missions.”

The winners of the February 7 Run for the Roses are Derrin Pierret of Raleigh, with a men’s division record time of 16:12, and Tiffany Thompsen of Chapel Hill, who won the women’s overall in a time of 19:16. The February 20 Law Enforcement Torch Run 5K winners are Srini Iyer of Raleigh, who set a new men’s record of 16:08, and Kimberly Bowler who set a female record in a time of 19:35.

The remaining spring series schedule and charitable beneficiaries are:
• April 17—St. Timothy's Spring Sprint, a 5K benefitting the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center
• May 2—Second Empire 5K Classic, celebrating the adoption triad by benefiting NC Hopeful Parents
• May 16—Inside-Out Sports Classic Half Marathon, benefiting the Tammy Lynn Center for Development Disabilities
To register for any of the Grand-Prix races, visit www.sportoften.com.

About Second Empire Grand-Prix:
Born from the Second Empire 5K Classic, the Grand-Prix is the inspiration of Raleigh entrepreneurs Kim Reynolds and husband Rod Garnas along with Inside-Out Sports owner Cid Cardoso. In its eighth year, the Grand-Prix provides a fun way for competitive and non-competitive runners to give back to the community. Individual races pool a small portion of their operational funds along with Grand-Prix sponsors to cover series expenses. The combined effort has provided races with increased visibility and attendance while decreasing operational costs. This savings can directly translate to larger proceeds going to the benefiting charities. 2010 sponsors include: Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern, Inside-Out Sports, American Express, Articulon, Regency Office Products, Anna’s Pizzeria, Lifetime Fitness, RightTime Kids, MainSail of Beaufort, State Farm Insurance, Midtown Magazine, MYLAPS sports timing, Henry Wurst, Inc. Michael Law MD—Blue Water Spa and Endurance Magazine. For more information, visit www.secondempireseries.com.

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This release was published on openPR.