Historic West Virginia Race Partners with Kinomap to Gain Global Exposure

August 29, 2023

Charleston Distance Run celebrates 50th anniversary with look towards the future

CHARLESTON, West Virginia (Aug. 29, 2023) – The Charleston Distance Run will mark 50 years running this Labor Day weekend, and its 5K event is taking an exciting step towards global participation thanks to the Kinomap app. The shorter race will be available on the Kinomap for Races platform later this fall.

Events everywhere are invited to film their courses and upload them to Kinomap. Interested race directors can learn how their event can be included here.

“This seemed like a great opportunity to promote our event far and wide and offer a unique way for folks far away to be able to participate,” said Gary Smith, who will run his 49^th “America’s 15 miler” this year and is a member of the event organizing committee. “For people in Charleston, it’s a rite of passage to say ‘oh yes, I’ve done the race.’”

Originally part of a local regatta festival, both events begin at the city’s majestic State Capitol. Runners journey through a historic downtown, into beautiful hillside neighborhoods, and along Charleston’s riverfront. The 5K was added to the event in 1993 and celebrates its 30^th anniversary this year.

“The Charleston Distance Run is a great example of how the charm of a local hometown race, with such a prestigious history, can be brought to its fans and followers, including deployed troops and other West Virginia natives spread all over the world, through Kinomap’s treadmill course simulation,” said Gary McNamee, Managing Director of Kinomap, North America.

“We invite races of any size to join the Kinomap platform, sharing your race, with all its hills, landmarks, twists and turns and cheering spectators. It costs nothing to upload your course to the Kinomap platform, yet it will bring you to a new global audience, creating new revenue streams for your race and its charities.”

The equipment agnostic Kinomap app pairs to a cardio device, such as a treadmill, and automatically adjusts to the inclines of the hills found on the course, while also adjusting the on-screen video speed to exactly match the pace of the viewer.

Smith said he hopes to film the 15-mile event next year, so that it can also be added to the Kinomap platform. It’s believed the 15-mile race is the longest-running in the state of West Virginia.

Learn more at kinomap.com and download the app for your Apple or Android device.

About the Charleston Distance Classic

The 50^th Charleston Distance Run, known as “America’s 15 miler,” will be held at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 2, 2023. The CDR is held annually in Charleston, West Virginia, starting on Kanawha Boulevard East in front of the West Virginia State Capitol. The historic event offers a 15-mile race, 3-person 15-mile relay, 5k race or 5k walk. Learn more: https://charlestondistancerun.com/

About Kinomap for Races

Kinomap is a developer of a patented course simulator technology for treadmills and other cardio equipment. The company partners with marquee endurance events, creating a race day course simulation, capturing all the electricity and excitement of the event from a runner’s point of view for an interactive course preview of an event, or to train and visualize prior to race day. Entrants can also participate remotely and officially through running, cycling, and even rowing in their health club or living room. This can turn a local live foot race into an international multi-sport event, creating a wider opportunity for the race with a pay to participate experience, benefitting the race, its sponsors, its vendors, its charities and participants around the world. For more information, please visit Kinomap for Races.

Media inquiries, please contact Charlotte Berthelot, Director of Marketing and Communications marketing@kinomap.net