5K races near Kings Mountain

The Haunted 5K, 10K, & 13.1M in Charlotte is a fall running race starting at 2229 Tyvola Road, near Marion Diehl Adaptive Field. Participants can select a 5K, 10K, or half marathon, with all distances beginning in the morning. Registration is exclusively via RunSignup; no on-site signups are available. Packet pickup occurs on race morning shortly before the start. The courses are straightforward out-and-back routes, making the format clear before race day. The 5K covers the route once, the 10K covers it twice, and the half marathon completes the out-and-back course four times. The race has a 3 hour 30 minute time limit, offers finisher medals, awards, US Road Running series points, and a best costume award aligned with the Haunted theme.

The Haunted 5K, 10K, & 13.1M is a Saturday morning race in Charlotte, North Carolina. It begins at 8:30 AM next to Marion Diehl Adaptive Field on Tyvola Road. Participants select a 5K, 10K, or half marathon. Advance registration is required via RunSignup; no on-site registration is available. The 5K and 10K follow an out-and-back course, with the 5K completed once and the 10K twice. The half marathon is also out and back, repeating its course four times, making it a lap-style race. The time limit is 3 hours and 30 minutes. Finishers receive medals, awards are presented, and the event contributes series points. The Halloween theme is most evident in the best costume award.

Rocky Branch Park in Belmont, North Carolina, is the location for the To The Good Times Trail Run, organized by Belmont Run Club. This event offers 5K and 10K trail races. Participants can choose to run either on-site or virtually, with virtual entry fees matching those of the on-site races. The on-site races begin at Rocky Branch Park and utilize bib-chip timing from Innovative Timing. Awards will be presented to overall and age-group winners for each distance. All participants will receive a T-shirt branded with the To The Good Times Trail Run and Belmont Run Club logos, along with a sticker.

The Last Wolf is a Last Man Standing race held in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, utilizing a 3.1-mile gravel loop. Participants begin new loops consecutively until they either fail to meet a cutoff time or choose to stop. The cutoff time is dynamic, cycling through 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60 minutes before resetting to 40 minutes and repeating this pattern. This shifting time limit creates periods of intense urgency followed by more relaxed intervals. The loop consists primarily of gravel, featuring both uphill and downhill segments. The course is structured as an out-and-back, with runners traveling approximately one mile out before turning back. A runner's race concludes upon missing the current time limit. To achieve victory, the final remaining runner must complete an additional loop solo within the active cutoff time; failure to finish this last loop within the limit results in no winner. Aid stations provide basic food items, eschewing an extensive course-wide selection.

Bit of Hope Ranch hosts its 5K on a 50-acre horse ranch in southern Gaston County, North Carolina. The start is at 5001 CR Wood Road in Gastonia. Participants can choose from a certified 5K trail run, a 2K walk, a virtual run option, or a Half-Pint Run for children age 7 and under. The race proceeds rain or shine, unless lightning requires cancellation. Packet pickup and walk-up registration are available on race morning. The 5K course is a true trail run, featuring challenging terrain in the back woods, paths through hardwoods, and sections along the waterfront. Runners finish downhill through a sensory trail, integrating the ranch's natural setting into the course. Walkers begin after the runners, allowing the shorter walk to occur in the same morning without impacting the 5K start. The Half-Pint Run is designed for young children, and those not participating in the race can support the ranch through donations.

The Night Crawl 5K is an in-person run, walk, or crawl through downtown Newton, North Carolina. It is presented by the Catawba Valley Association of Realtors and offers a standard 5K, a student 5K, and a T-shirt-only option for those who wish to support the event without racing. The race raises money for the Elementary School Back Pack Programs in Caldwell and Catawba Counties, making the local charity purpose central to why people sign up, sponsor, or volunteer. This is the event's 17th annual running, and registration is handled through RunSignup or the Catawba Valley Association of Realtors office.

The Run Scared 5K is a Halloween race held at Seattle’s Seward Park. Participants can select from a 10K, 5K, or 2 Mile run/walk. This event marks its 18th year and benefits Blood Cancer United in the Pacific Northwest. A virtual participation option is also available for those unable to attend in person. The course has been redesigned, removing the previous hill, making it more accessible for walkers, families, and costumed racers. The event embraces Halloween with encouraged costumes, a costume contest, hot apple cider, a candy corn tasting bar, a free kids dash, a pre-race treasure hunt, and a photo booth. Blood Cancer United utilizes the event to fund blood cancer research, provide support for patients and families, and advocate for improved care access.

The NoDa Halloween Freaky 5K is a 5K costume run in Charlotte, North Carolina, held around Halloween in the NoDa neighborhood. It starts at 5 p.m. and is suitable for a broad audience: experienced runners, beginners, walkers, families, and groups of friends can all participate without the pressure of a serious race-day test. The route runs through NoDa, one of Charlotte’s older neighborhoods, with the start and finish at NoDa Company Store on Yadkin Avenue. Halloween costumes are integral to the event, so the participants are more likely to be people running or walking through the neighborhood dressed for the season, rather than focused on singlets and split-times.

The Medal Madness race in Charlotte begins next to Marion Diehl Adaptive Field at 8:30 AM, offering participants a 5K, 10K, or half marathon. It is a standard road race with registration exclusively through RunSignup; no race-day registration is available. Packet pickup is open from 30 minutes before the start until 10 minutes prior to the gun. The 5K and 10K follow an identical out-and-back course. The 5K is completed once, and the 10K is completed twice. The half marathon also uses an out-and-back format, repeating its loop four times. Participants should anticipate a course with repeated segments rather than a point-to-point tour of Charlotte. All finishers get medals, awards are presented, series points are tallied, and a Best Costume award is included, adding a fun Medal Madness element to the standard race format.