5K races near Shrewsbury

Run for the Buns! is a 5K race in Boxborough, Massachusetts, benefiting the House Rabbit Network, a local organization for rabbit rescue and education. Participants can run or walk individually or as a team. A virtual option is available for those unable to attend in person. The morning's activities include 5K check-in, the race itself, and a kids' Bunny Hop race afterward. The event focuses on fundraising for the House Rabbit Network, with all proceeds supporting their rescue, adoption, and rabbit care education efforts. Following the 5K, attendees are invited to Craft Food Hall BXB on Beaver Brook Road for an after-party. The party will feature a raffle, music, family activities, food for purchase, and a complimentary drink with each registration.

The Davis Hill Dragon Dash is an annual 5K road race held at Davis Hill Elementary School in Holden. It is structured as a school-community event, welcoming runners, walkers, strollers, and leashed dogs on the course. The race benefits the Davis Hill School PTA, with funds directed to student programs like science enrichment and classroom supplies. This marks the 11th year for the event, which also offers local businesses opportunities for sponsorship, including mile-marker placements.

The DEF Dash 5K is a live, in-person 5K run or walk held at Barnes Memorial Park in Dedham, starting at 11:00 AM. The Dedham Education Foundation established it following 10 years of Bernie’s Run, and the event has taken place annually since 2019. Hundreds of runners, walkers, family, and friends gather for a community race focused on schools, not solely a competition for runners. The day benefits the Dedham Education Foundation, Dedham Public Schools, and local students, offering age-category prizes, award ceremonies, food, drink, and music post-race.

Jog Your Memory is a 5K run and 1.5-mile walk held in Needham, Massachusetts, offering both in-person and virtual participation. The in-person race begins and ends at Mitchell Elementary School. This event is organized by a non-profit founded by Jess Rice and her husband Bob to aid individuals impacted by Alzheimer's. The event generates funds for Alzheimer's research and caregiver respite. To date, over $2.35 million has been raised. Over the last twelve years, 80% of the funds have been allocated to research, and 20% have been directed to a Caregiver Grant program, providing additional support for those caring for family members.

Walsh Middle School in Framingham, Massachusetts, hosts the 5K4Kids, a 5-kilometer run/walk held regardless of weather, connected to a family fair. A shorter family fun-run is also part of the day, making it suitable for children, parents, walkers, and casual runners, not just those aiming for a fast 5K time. The course begins at the middle school. Pets are not permitted unless they are service animals. The fair, featuring face painting, airbrush tattoos, a balloon clown, a bouncy house, and lawn games. Proceeds from registration fees, donations, and raffle sales benefit Wayside Youth & Family Support Network programs for young people, providing items such as emergency food and clothing, diapers and formula, school supplies, hot meals, holiday gifts, and winter wear. The raffle offers a practical incentive, with $5 tickets available on race morning for Visa gift cards, including two $1,000 prizes and three $500 prizes.

Scaredy Cat K95K is a Halloween-season 5K walk/run for people and dogs at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, Massachusetts. The in-person race starts at the campus center on Westboro Road; all paces are welcome, accommodating walkers, runners, families, teams, and individuals with one dog. Costumes are encouraged. Dogs attending the campus event require proof of a current rabies vaccine, and only dogs may participate in the in-person animal field. The event supports veterinary care and animal welfare. Proceeds benefit MVMA Charities, funding emergency care for abandoned and stray animals in Massachusetts, and Tufts University's Travis Fund, assisting with care for found animals and pets whose owners cannot afford veterinary bills. Following the 5K, a health and fitness fair will feature music, local vendors, and dog demonstrations, with a prize for the best-dressed pup. A virtual 5K option is available throughout October, allowing participation with pets not permitted at the campus event.

Powisset Farm Trail Run - Fall is a farm-based trail race in Dover, Massachusetts, part of the Barn to Run Trail Race Series. This fall event offers a 10k option, and the series provides runners with a choice of distances at its farm races. The route guides runners past farm fields and along forest trails, closely connecting the race to the land around Powisset Farm, unlike a road-course setup. Barn to Run also uses its events to connect participants with local farms and farm programs, with spectators enjoying farm attractions during the race. Sun Multisport Events, an endurance event company based in Massachusetts, produces the series.

The Trick or Trot 5k runs through Washington Park in Albany, featuring Halloween props along the course: a witch's village, ghouls and ghosts, and a pumpkin patch. This Halloween-season 5k is for all ages; costumes are encouraged from the start, and ARE Event Productions provides chip timing. Friends, families, neighbors, and runners with strollers are welcome, though strollers should begin at the back. The event concludes with giveaways, vendors, decorations, a DJ, Best Costume prizes, age-group awards, random prize drawings, and a wicking fabric shirt for registered participants.

The GenesisHR Battlegreen Run is a volunteer-run community race in Lexington, Massachusetts, starting at Lexington High School. This annual Sunday event begins midday and offers a 5K run, 10K run, 5K walk, or 1.2-mile walk. The field includes runners, walkers, families, and those supporting a team or cause. The race is closely tied to local fundraising, with participants raising money for nonprofits and local charities. One long-running group is Running for Innocence, which supports the New England Innocence Project's Running for Innocence Fund. This fund assists innocence organizations in Massachusetts with costs for experts and investigators in wrongful-conviction cases. The event is in its thirtieth running, and the local community views it as both a race day and a charity gathering.

The Journey Home Road Race brings together runners, walkers, and ruck participants in Devens, Massachusetts, annually around Veterans Day weekend in November. It provides 5K and 10K distances, with the event focused on honoring U.S. veterans and first responders, not on attracting an elite-only field. The race begins and concludes near 84 Antietam Street. Packet pickup on race morning is conveniently located near parking and the start-finish area. Net proceeds benefit Veteran Pathways of New England, a wellness-focused veterans community center. The event also has connections to Clear Path for Veterans New England in Marlborough. Following the run and walk, participants convene for a post-race gathering hosted by Columbia Tavern and Yuengling. Awards are presented to the top three overall finishers in each division.

Run4Veterans is a 5k run/walk held at Polar Park in Worcester, Massachusetts, beginning at 100 Madison Street. This is a short, accessible race, not a long-distance event, allowing runners and walkers to participate together. Veterans Inc. organizes this event, which benefits veterans. The ballpark location provides a distinct local connection to Worcester, with the course starting near Polar Park rather than a typical road-race staging area.