Columbia · United States

5K races near Columbia

7 races in 2026 next one in 37 days

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Race calendar

Upcoming 5K races near Columbia

AUG 2

Run · road · 5K

JailBreak Escape Urban Challenge Run

Lexington · 10 km away

Run · road · 5K

Peace, Love & AMM

Aiken · 78 km away

SEP 5

Run · road · 5K

Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk - Columbia, SC

Run · road · 5K

Camden · 49 km away

Run · road · 5K

Muddy Princess - South Carolina

Gaston · 22 km away

+2 more 5K racesShow fewer ↓

Run · road · 5K

Run With All Your Heart 5k

Run · road · 5K

Irmo Okra Strut 5k

Irmo · 12 km away

Columbia · 80 km

7 races mapped View on map →

Recurring 5K races near Columbia

Races that repeat — weekly, monthly or yearly

Run for Freedom 5K & Fun Run

The Run for Freedom 5K & Fun Run is part of the Freedom's Run Race Series in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The series includes the Harper's Ferry Half & 5K, the October Freedom's Run event, and Camp River Runners, with race distances from a kids' mile to a full marathon. Dr. Mark Cucuzzella and Lois Turco founded Freedom's Run to encourage healthier habits in the region. The series is guided by the Eastern Area Health Education Center of WVU Medicine. Entry fees support the Freedom's Run Grant, which funds health and wellness projects across a nine-county service area, including local trails at schools and youth and adult camps. The organizers note the events helped start a local running boom, providing residents with more ways to stay active and drawing runners through the Eastern Panhandle and neighboring communities.

Nightmare In Elmwood 5k

Costumes are part of the start-line routine at Nightmare In Elmwood 5k, a Halloween 5K and fun run in Columbia, South Carolina. The race is run around Halloween in the historic Elmwood Park area, with a 5 km option and a shorter kids fun run of about 1.6 km. It is still a young neighborhood event, but it has already drawn more than 520 participants. The course starts near 2204 Park Street and runs through Elmwood Park, close to downtown Columbia. Families, kids, runners in costume, and even dogs are part of the crowd. The neighborhood adds Halloween decorations, the event includes a costume contest, and volunteers get “skeleton crew” shirts while helping with race-day jobs.

Bulldogs On The Run 5K & Bark

Bulldogs On The Run 5K & Bark is a homecoming-weekend road race in Orangeburg, South Carolina, tied to South Carolina State University. It includes a 3.1-mile 5K and a 1-mile Bark option, so runners, walkers, families, and people at different fitness levels can all join the same event. The race is run by the nonprofit Bulldogs on the Run, and its mission includes promoting health while raising financial support for South Carolina State students. The 5K runs through downtown Orangeburg, the city often called the Garden City. The Bark route uses the same starting area and follows a 1-mile out-and-back course along the edge of the 5K route. People come from around the United States, especially around SCSU homecoming, and the day continues after the finish with a post-race celebration.

The Mt. Moriah 5K is a USATF-certified road race held in Camden, South Carolina, during early November. It begins and ends at the Mt. Moriah Outreach building, located at 813 Broad Street. This yearly community 5K is also included in the Columbia Running Club’s Tour de Columbia series. The course starts and finishes at the outreach building. Parking is available nearby on Broad Street, York Street, the rear lot of Mt. Moriah Baptist, and a vacant lot. Net proceeds support Thanksgiving and Christmas meals for Camden and nearby communities; over 3,500 meals have been provided since the program's inception. The race proceeds regardless of weather and does not issue refunds.

Run Hard Half Marathon, 10k & 5k

The Run Hard Half Marathon, 10k & 5k is a race series held on the same morning at Lexington County Baseball Stadium in Lexington, South Carolina. This stadium is the home of the Lexington County Blowfish. Participants can select the half marathon, the Run Hard 10k, or the Toby K 5k. The races start at different times in the morning, with the longest race beginning first. All three courses are USATF-certified, providing an accurately measured distance for runners. Packet pickup is available the day before the race at Fleet Feet Lexington and on race morning at the stadium. Race-day registration is open until a cutoff time in the early morning. The half marathon begins and ends at the baseball stadium. Parking is located nearby, so the event does not provide a bag drop. Half marathon participants can choose pacers ranging from 1:30 to 2:30 finish times. This setup accommodates runners aiming for a specific time and those new to the distance. Half marathon finishers will receive a custom medal. Early registrants may also receive a free beanie, depending on availability. Awards are presented to the top three overall finishers, masters runners, and age groups. The 10k and 5k offer shorter distances for those who prefer a race morning at the stadium without running 13.1 miles.

Spartan Carolinas Trifecta Weekend

Love Like Alissa 5k

Ugly Sweater 5K

The Ugly Sweater 5K is an annual holiday-season run/walk supporting the Manheim Township Cross Country Booster Club. Participants can choose between a 5K Run/Walk or a 1 Mile Fun Run for a shorter option. The event embraces the holiday theme with participants encouraged to wear ugly sweaters. Holiday music, hot chocolate, soup, and cookies will be available. Proceeds benefit Manheim Township cross country athletes and coaches, with support from local sponsors.

Be the Buffalo Memorial Run for Digits and Needle

The Buffalo Memorial Run for Digits and Needle is an annual 5K in Lexington, South Carolina. It begins at 8:30 AM Eastern and concludes around 10:00 AM. The race commemorates Dianne Sullivan Wells, known as Digits within the FiA group, who was a Lexington runner and the founder of the Running Wild group. The name originates from the concept of buffaloes gathering and facing storms collectively. This imagery became a way for her friends and the local running community to express solidarity after her passing during a December run. Local FiA and F3 groups held a prayer circle following Dianne’s death, and Running Wild continues to meet. Consequently, the race is closely linked to the individuals who ran with her, rather than solely to a course or distance.

Cupid's Chase 5K Columbia

Cupid's Chase 5K Columbia begins at 10 a.m. in Maxcy Gregg Park, offering a later start for a local 5K. This race is part of Community Options' national Cupid's Chase series, which holds similar events across the country to fund programs and housing for individuals with disabilities. The Columbia event is accessible to runners, walkers, wheelchair users, and those with strollers. It welcomes participants, sponsors, and fundraisers, designed as a community event rather than solely a competition for elite runners. The course is a certified, chip-timed 5K, an out-and-back route through Shandon that is generally fast. Results will be posted shortly after the race concludes. This event has been held for over ten years. All finishers receive a medal and a Cupid's Chase drawstring bag, subject to availability. Awards extend beyond the top overall finishers; the top three male and female runners get trophies, and winners in each age group receive medals. Leashed pets are permitted, and the event is also known for its notable door prizes and awards.

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About 5K races in Columbia

Soda City Training Notes

Columbia hosts 17 5K races in 2026 within 80 km of the city centre — upcoming dates, recurring series, and other races nearby, all in one place.

Columbia gives runners easy base miles from the rivers to the woods. Locals lean on the Three Rivers Greenway, the Columbia Canal Trail, and the Cayce and West Columbia greenways when they want smooth paths and river views. The Saluda Riverwalk runs about 6 miles end to end, and the Cayce Riverwalk by Black Rooster connects to Timmerman Trail for a 12-mile move. Harbison State Forest gives trail runners a big outer loop around 10 or 11 miles, with more mileage inside. Columbia Running Club keeps the scene connected, and the Governor's Cup Road Race, Sandhills Trail Race Series, and Koala Bottle Harbison Half Marathon & 5K are anchor events.

Columbia gives riders a split personality in a good way: river paths for easy spins, Harbison for singletrack, and Saluda for gravel. Columbia Cycling Club runs Saturday A, B, and C rides, with the A group covering 50 miles at 16-20 mph. Tri-City Cyclers roll every Tuesday and Thursday from 808 Knox Abbot Rd. at 6:00 p.m. for a 35-mile road ride. Cycle Center, Cola Town Bike Collective, Outspokin' Bicycles, Dialed Bicycles, Summit Cycles, and Streetmeatcola keep group rides moving. Harbison State Forest has 32 miles of mountain biking trails. The climbs sit north in the Upland Piedmont and on hilly dirt like Harbison and Fats. Tico's Gravel Grinder 10k and Tour de Columbia Race Series give the calendar some bite.

Spring and fall are the money months, with March-May and September-November giving runners and cyclists the cleanest shot at intervals, long rides, and Z2 without overthinking the forecast. Summer gets hot and humid, and Columbia averages 72 days above 90°F, so locals shift runs, beer-pace rides, and riverwalk spins early. Winter stays cool to mild, and the city still averages 55 nights below freezing. Columbia Cycling Club's Saturday A ride stays consistently populated through winter, while the B and C groups are more of a March-through-October thing, and runners keep using Harbison, Saluda Riverwalk, and downtown when cold snaps pass.