The City of Salisbury has been designated one of two cities as a Runner Friendly Community by the Road Runners Club of America. To obtain this designation, the City was evaluated in three primary categories: community infrastructure, community support and local government support.
“We are excited to be recognized with the Runner Friendly Community designation,” said Salisbury Parks and Recreation Director Nick Aceves. “The continual expansion of our greenway system allows us to promote health and wellness opportunities to our residents. The partnership with Salisbury Rowan Runners (SRR), city departments, local businesses, The Carolina Thread Trail and the community as a whole has been supportive and involved in ensuring our runners have the most accessible and enjoyable experiences in our parks, trails and sidewalks. This designation is truly the accomplishment of everyone in our city.”
According to a press release from the Road Runners Club of America, the designation is awarded to communities that have “shown they have an infrastructure that can foster physical activity in a safe environment. They have a proven track record that organizations and businesses can work together to promote running as a healthy exercise and sport. With the most important criteria being, there are positive relationships between the running community and local government.”
The City of Salisbury was nominated by the Salisbury Rowan Runners, who is one of the longest operating running clubs in the state. SRR is made up of individuals with a passion for running and whose motto is “A place for every pace” which speaks to its robust work with beginning runners, and its commitment to help build a more healthy and fit Salisbury.
“Salisbury Rowan Runners club has a long standing relationship between the city officials, city departments and the runners and walkers who are fortunate to live here,” said David Freeze, president of the SRR club. “I think the Runner Friendly Community designation magnifies how fortunate we are to share the community with so many interested businesses helping to support running and racing. The effort of working together made this all possible and the national recognition is well deserved.”
For more information on the Salisbury Rowan Runners, please visit salisburyrowanrunners.org or call (704) 310-6741. To learn more about Salisbury Parks and Recreation and open spaces, please visit salisburync.gov/ PkRec.
The goal of the RRCA’s Runner Friendly Community program is to shine a national spotlight on communities that standout as runner-friendly and provide incentives and ideas for communities to work towards becoming runner-friendly communities. Runner Friendly Communities can also increase the quality of life, improve physical activity for residents, and provide for increased economic impact for the community. For more information, visit: rrca.org.