Local run club hosts 'Run Against Hate'

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A local run club is taking a stand against racism and hate with a special run around downtown Raleigh.

Locally-owned running apparel store, Runologie hosts a weekly run club starting at the store on Hillsborough Street, but the owners are expecting a bigger crowd for Thursday night's event.

In what they're calling the "Run Against Hate (and for love)", David Meeker, owner of Runologie and State of Beer, and his team have created a special 3.6-mile course that will have runners creating a heart around downtown Raleigh.

Meeker said as they watched the events unfold in Charlottesville, Virgina, two weeks ago were white supremacists marched through the city- an event which escalated into violent clashes with counter-protesters- they wanted to take a stand against the hate.

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"That's not Raleigh," said Meeker. "That's not North Carolina. And that's really not our country. Folks like us have to stand up. Things have gotten so crazy that if businesses aren't willing to stand up, then nothing will change. And businesses do have power because they have a voice and we're standing up and hopefully that'll empower other businesses to stand up too."

Co-owner Brent Francese said there's some therapeutic about running that helps bring people together, even in difficult circumstances.

"Everybody's excited I feel like, when they come on Thursdays to run off work, the work week, get ready for the weekend," Francese said. "This is- we want to run because we want to feel unified and do something positive."

The run starts at Runologie on Hillsborough Street at 6 p.m.

For more information, go to the event's Facebook page.