We Persevere For NC Beer

UPDATED October 30. We did it! Check out my race recap.

Coming this fall, team We Persevere for NC Beer will be competing in the inaugural Tuna Run 200 - a two hundred mile adventure relay running from Raleigh to Atlantic Beach, North Carolina on October 19-20, 2012. Starting at Lake Benson Park in Garner, this unique race will feature dozens of teams with 6-12 runners individually running day and night to the finish line on the Atlantic Beach boardwalk.

We Persevere for NC Beer includes 12 athletes and additional volunteers representing some of North Carolina's finest craft breweries, distributors and beer enthusiasts from across the state. Primary sponsorship for We Persevere for NC Beer comes from Kinston's own Mother Earth Brewing who also sponsors the race. Audra Marotta, CFO and adventure racer at Mother Earth started the team earlier in the year and quickly secured support from her employer while rounding up the athletes who will join her to tackle the 200 mile challenge this fall. 

Additional sponsorship is desired to help the team with the cost of fuel, food and supplies during the 30-36 hour journey across eastern North Carolina. We Persevere for NC Beer is seeking support from North Carolina breweries, distributors and retailers that would be willing to help the team reach their goal of completing the Tuna Run 200 while spreading the word about all that is awesome with North Carolina beer.

Also running on We Persevere for NC Beer is @beerandracing Jon, a NC craft beer enthusiast, distance runner and blogger who will be hosting this page for the team and its supporters.

Meet the members of We Persevere for NC Beer

Audra - Chief Financial Officer Mother Earth Brewing, Treasurer North Carolina Brewers Guild, former Controller at Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, team runner

• Favorite Beers: Russian River Pliny the Elder, Mother Earth Endless River, Bear Republic Cafe Racer 15, Dark Horse Brewing Double Crooked Tree
• Favorite Bars: The Wooden Nickel Hillsborough, The Federal Durham, Apex Portland, Blind Lady San Diego, ChurchKey Wash,DC
• Dream Race: Adidas Auckland Half Marathon, NZ
• Next Race: Super Spartan Leesburg, VA 

Lane - Beer enthusiast, team runner

• Favorite Beers: Mother Earth Endless River Kolsch, Lonerider Shotgun Betty Hefeweizen, Bell's Oberon & anything bourbon-barrel-aged or brett-inoculated!
• Favorite Bars: The Federal Durham, The Town Pump Fort Collins, CO
• Dream Races: Hood-to-Coast, Pike's Peak Marathon, Big Sur Marathon
• Next Race: Blue Ridge Marathon Roanoke, VA

Jon - Beer enthusiast, organizer of Big Boss Brewing Run Club, team runner

• Favorite Beers: Big Boss Aces and Ates Coffee Stout, Pisgah Brewing Vortex II RIS, Wedge Third Rail DIPA
• Favorite Bars: Big Boss Taproom, Raleigh; Mooies St John, USVI; Krawl off Duval, Key West; The Pony Bar Hell's Kitchen, NYC; Toronado, San Francisco
• Dream Races: NYC Marathon, 8 Tuff Miles St John, USVI; a 200 mile team relay, a 50 mile ultra-marathon
• Next Races: Asheville Half Marathon, Dogfish Dash Milton, DE; City of Oaks Raleigh Marathon

Michelle - Beer enthusiast, team volunteer

• Favorite Beers: Lonerider Sweet Josie, Wedge Brewery Third Rail DIPA, Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale
• Favorite Bars: Magnolia Pub and Brewery, San Francisco; The Flying Saucer, Raleigh; Great Lakes Brewing Company Pub, Cleveland
• Dream Race: Something abroad, outside US borders
• Next Race: Dogfish Dash Milton, DE

Michael - Beer enthusiast, homebrewer, team runner

• Favorite Beers: Russian River Consecration, Mother Earth Tripel Overhead, Ballast Point Sculpin IPA
• Favorite Bars: Thirsty Monk, Asheville; The Phyrst, State College, PA; Fat Heads, Pittsburgh, PA
• Dream Race: Spartan Death Race, Leadville Trail 100
• Next Race: Super Spartan Leesburg, VA

Brian - Director of Community Optimism for NoDa Brewing Company, team runner

• Favorite Beers: Coast Blackbeerd, NoDa Hop, Drop 'n Roll IPA, Three Floyds Dreadnaught, Founders CBS, Pisgah Pumpkin 
• Favorite Bars: Any brewery, quite a few at home in Maryland
• Dream Race: No idea, just getting into running so I'll try anything
• Next Race: OrthoCarolina Classic 10K Charlotte, NC

Laura - Beer enthusiast, self-proclaimed NoDa Brewing Company customer of the year, team runner

• Favorite Beers: Hop, Drop 'n Roll IPA, really any craft beer
• Favorite Bars: Brewery taprooms but favorite is NoDa Taproom!
• Dream Race: Done my dream runs. Doing more as they come!
• Next Race: Color Run Charlotte, Tuna Run 200

Kevin - Brewery Manager Lonerider Brewing Company, team runner

• Favorite Beers: Lonerider Peacemaker Pale Ale, Lagunitas IPA, Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout
• Favorite Bars: The Flying Saucer Raleigh, The Square Pint Kenmare, Ireland
• Dream Races: Ironman Kona, Big Sur Marathon
• Next Races: Asheville Half Marathon, City of Oaks Half Marathon, Ragnar Relay Florida Keys

 

Jordan - Atlanta Sales Rep Mother Earth Brewing, team runner 

• Favorite Beers: Brouwerij Rodenbach, Green Man Brewery ESB
• Favorite Bars: Old Winston Social Club
• Dream Race: Boston Marathon
• Next Race: Dallas Marathon

Andrew -  Mother Earth Brewing bartender, beer fanatic, aspiring vegan, team runner

• Favorite Beers - Mother Earth Brewing Pierce Henry, Silent Night, New Belgium La Folie, Terrapin Wake 'N' Bake
• Favorite Bars - Thirsty Monk Asheville; The Phyrst State College, PA; Raleigh Times Bar; The Knickerbocker Tavern Altoona, PA
• Dream Race - Barkley Marathons, Tarheel Ultra, Race Across America (RAAM)
• Next Race - Graveyard 100 

Nicole - Beer enthusiast, team runner

• Favorite Beer - Bell's Two Hearted Ale
• Favorite Bar -  Bull City Burger and Brewery Durham
• Dream Race - any ultramarathon
• Next Race - Outer Banks Marathon

Dale - Beer enthusiast, team volunteer

• Favorite Beer - New Belgium Fat Tire
• Favorite Bar -  Bull McCabe's Durham
• Dream Race - Anything with obstacles and cool scenery
• Next Race - Outer Banks 5k

Win - Social Media and Beer Education All About Beer Magazine, Executive Director North Carolina Brewers Guild, team runner

• Favorite Beers: Wedge Iron Rail IPA, Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale, Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale
• Favorite Bars: Tasty Beverage Co. Raleigh, Busy Bee Cafe Raleigh, Thirsty Monk Asheville
• Dream Races: Hood to Coast, Big Sur Half/Full Marathon, Boston Marathon
• Next Race: Tuna Run 200

Several members of We Persevere For NC Beer having post-run pints at Tyler's Taproom Durham

Team runners after a Labor Day run in Charlotte

Team runners recovering from a Charlotte area run at NoDa Brewing Company Taproom

Future teammates sharing post-race brews at Natty Greene's Pub and Brewing Foxhunt 5k

A huge THANK YOU to the North Carolina based sponsors of team We Persevere for NC Beer. We love their #NCbeer!!