About

Adé’s Artist Series

Running is an art, not a science.

Adé Hogue

In 2021, we worked with the amazing artist and North Carolina native, Adé Hogue who took our medal and participant shirt to the next level. He was based in Chicago, IL, but had ties to the Queen City as a UNC Charlotte alum and it showed in his design work. He wasn’t only an absolutely amazing artist, but he also brought life to the active community through running and cycling. Needless to say, he was an easy candidate to kick off our artist series.

In October of 2021, weeks after our race, Adé passed away in a tragic cycling accident. Since that day, we have been searching for a way to pay tribute to him and his legacy. He was a dear friend of the ATC10K team and will forever be a part of the Charlotte running community. We plan to continue our Artist Series in his honor for many years to come by working with friends at his agency and within the lettering community.

Adé’s Artist Series will welcome new artists each year to continue his legacy by designing our race swag. All funds raised for those that opt out of a medal each year will go toward the Adé Hogue Foundation. The foundation focuses on providing funding to various areas such as the educational pursuits of fellow creatives, the athletic pursuits of those within the Black cycling and running communities, and supporting underprivileged youth.

The 2024 Around the Crown 10K Together with Truist medal

In 2024 our artist series took us a bit further north as we met alxndr, an illustrator, designer, and most importantly runner, out of St. Paul, Minnesota! We met this amazing artist through searching endlessly on design websites where his work continued to bubble to the top anytime we were searching for running related merch, medals, design, anything! When we found out he worked for Twin Cities In Motion who puts on some of the many races we have always looked up to, we were sold.

Alxndr got to work fast on our design and his style bled through so well with icons relating to our beloved city and state while also emphasizing the ATC brand. The 2024 medal and shirt showcases his take on our classic crown that is the capstone of our brand while his icons pull his playful line-work throughout the ribbon. We are proud for this year’s medal to be the first that takes our design “outside the box” with the edges of our brand pushing past our traditional circular medal. You will also see his work on the front and back of our 2024 participant shirt as well as a few merchandise items this year.

The 2023 Around the Crown 10K Together with Truist medal

We’re excited to debut the 2023 Around the Crown 10K Together with Truist medal thanks to our partnership with Marina Nolen this year! The inspiration derived from her original 3D sketch of Charlotte’s beautiful skyline and downtown created for the 2023 shirt. You can see the skyline in top of the neck ribbon behind the iconic ATC10K Crown, but the emphasis really goes to the unique “runners of Charlotte”. From handcycles to hairstyles, Marina focused on inclusion within our amazing community.

Once again, we went with an antiqued gold finish as a nod to our city’s history in the gold rush during the early 1800’s. The back of the medal brought Marina’s hand lettering to our motto, “WE RUN THIS CROWN” along with the clouds that surrounded uptown’s architecture. The date was etched in to help you commemorate year five of opening up the Queen City’s inner beltway, I-277, to thousands of runners.

The 2022 Around the Crown 10K presented by Truist medal

The 2022 Around the Crown 10K presented by Truist medal was a beautiful one! The lines of this design were inspired by the many layers of overpasses and underpasses that you’ll experience on race day. The type literally goes #AroundTheCrown of the medal with the ATC10K crown itself being the centerpiece of your new collectible.