Twin City Track Club started 2026 with a bang. On New Year’s Day, many gathered for a Strava Run through the streets of downtown Winston-Salem. It was great to see so many people beginning the new year on the right foot.
January 2-3, TCTC hosted the Frosty 50 Races at Salem Lake. The 5K was run Friday evening followed by the 12.5K, 25K, 50K, and 50K Relay on Saturday morning. Fortunately, the rainy day forecast turned out to be a light rain that did not last long so the runners could enjoy a pleasant morning on the trail around Salem Lake.
On that same weekend, TCTC hosted the annual Winter Seminar. Craig Engels was our guest speaker this year. Craig grew up in Winston-Salem, attended Reagan High School, and is one of the top middle-distance runners in the United States. After running the Frosty 12.5K at a 5:00/mile pace Saturday morning, Craig joined guests at the JDL Fast Track for a social hour followed by a talk. Brant Armentrout came prepared with great questions for Craig as the audience learned more about his running history and how he balances running and life.
My take-aways from his message were:
- Running gives you community
- Running helps you focus
- BUT don’t focus too much on your race times
- Have fun with what you are doing
I think these are good messages for 2026!
