CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — HBCU Alums have rallied together in the Queen City with those that love to run. Some local trailblazers are motivating you to get up and be active.

Cornell W. Jones is the creator of “Mad Mile Run Club” in Charlotte. He shares what the club is and what you can look forward to when you join.

“Whoaaa…Mad Mile run is a lot of things, I will say that…it is a safe space for people to come learn about running, to enhance their running and to build a community in a nutshell,” Cornell said.

Cornell’s love for running sparked the idea to have others join to run a mile day every Tuesday at Camp North End at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday at Elizabeth Park at 10 a.m.

“We gonna get a nice stretch, have some music while we’re doing that and then we’re gonna run and when we get back we’re dancing singing having a good time, before I let go all the line dances and it’s just hours and hours of good fun, says Cornell.”

Cornell has had a big impact on those a part of HBCUs. He graduated from Winston-Salem State University where his passion for track helped reach others in the community, like Jaquan Dupree.

“He took me in like a little brother and taught me a lot about running. It took a while to gain the confidence to come out but he stuck with it and I thank God for someone like him,” said Dupree.

Anyone can join the club, free of charge. Pets and strollers are welcome to tag along on the trail.

“I love the comradery, different backgrounds, different stories, everyone has different goals and I also love that people are willing to challenge themselves,” said Dupree.

This Saturday the run club will be meeting at Camp North End in collaboration with the Duke’s Mayo Classic this weekend.