For Raleigh runners, community supports Olympic dreams

By Ali Ingersoll, WRAL investigative data reporter

The Raleigh running community cheered one of its own on Saturday. Fiona O’Keeffe, who lives and trains in the Triangle won her first-ever marathon and a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

O'Keefe wasn’t the only North Carolina resident running either, she was among 14 athletes from the state running in the marathon trials – only six other states were better represented.

The state is becoming a popular place for elite athletes.

Strava, a fitness tracking app that tracks runners' routes, shows the Triangle as a national hotspot; zoom in to see popular routes in the downtown corridors, along American Tobacco Trail and in William B. Umstead State Park.

Alex Warren, the owner of Runologie, says training in the Triangle is challenging but that’s what makes runners from the region succeed.

"Not only does it provide another mental barrier with the summer heat but it does serve as good canvas for all types of running," he said.

Beyond that, there’s the community – Raleigh boasts nearly a dozen run clubs, where people of all paces hit the streets.

While the climate and canvas can’t be controlled, the camaraderie can.

"To go out and log miles, it builds camaraderie, and it builds it to a very deep extent, and sometimes that forges the best relationships," Warren said.

That are what truly sets Raleigh's running scene apart from so many other places and makes running here so special.