A one-mile race down Main Street in Waynesville on Friday evening, Aug. 13, will raise money for the Shriners Children Hospital.

The Main Street Mile is a brand-new road race down the historic section of Main Street, starting one mile south of the Haywood County Courthouse.

“The mile distance is creating a lot of interest in the local running community since runners of all levels always want to know how fast they can run a mile,” said Dr. Jason Bodnar, vice president of the Main Street Mile.

There will be a post-race party with food, drinks, beer from Highlands Brewing Company and live music featuring Chris Williams, lead singer of Asheville’s Empty Slate.

“We look forward to the Main Street Mile growing and becoming a summer staple to our downtown events as well as to the WNC race series,” said Dr. Eric Yarrington, president of the Main Street Mile. “In addition to highlighting our beautiful town and providing a unique racing experience, we are truly running for the children in helping Shriners continue to provide pediatric specialty care to our region.”

The race will be run in waves. Under 18 age group starts at 6:30 p.m., female runners at 6:50 p.m., and male runners at 7:10 p.m. A team event for local police, fire and emergency services personnel will start at 7:30 p.m. After registering at Badcock Furniture near the race finish line, racers will walk one mile up Main Street to the starting line, serving as the perfect warm-up.

All proceeds go directly to Shriners of Greenville, S.C.  As the region’s only pediatric specialty hospital for orthopedic conditions, they serve many children in Haywood County and throughout Western North Carolina. www.waynesvillemainstreetmile.com or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..