5K races near University Place

Baby Steps 5K is a benefit race supporting The Amelia Center at Children's of Alabama. The event includes a 5K and a 1 Mile memorial run, with all proceeds directed to the center. The race focuses on remembrance and running. Participants may add a loved one's name to the race shirt and memorial signs. Names must be submitted before the shirt-printing deadline to be included on race day.

Fall Frolic is a 5K and Fun Run in Beverly, Massachusetts, held at Lynch Park and open to runners and walkers of all ages and fitness levels. The race supports every Beverly public elementary school, with proceeds directed to educational programs and classroom resources through the local school community. The course starts and finishes at Lynch Park, following Beverly’s traditional homecoming route. It is primarily a community school fundraiser: families, students, PTO supporters, casual runners, and experienced 5K racers can all share the same route while raising money for Beverly’s elementary schools.

The Bagel Run 5K/10K/13.1 is a small private group run in New York City offering 5K, 10K, and half-marathon distances, along with a 1-mile Family Fun Run. The concept is straightforward: run for the carbs, then enjoy the bagels. Participants can also opt for a virtual 5K, 10K, or half marathon. The in-person races include an eco-registration option that omits a shirt. This event accommodates both running and walking, welcoming all paces and allowing children accompanied by a guardian. Each wave has a participant limit and closes once full, with a waitlist available when capacity is reached. The format is intentionally relaxed, requiring no special equipment or obstacles, focusing solely on the run with coordinators present to assist participants.

The Seattle Night Nation Run is a nighttime 5K held at Lumen Field, structured more like a music event than a typical road race. The organizers refer to the series as the world's first Running Music Festival, including pre-race music, a race bib, a glow necklace, giveaways, and concert access with registration. The course guides runners through live DJ areas, bubble zones, light shows, neon, and black lights, concluding at a main-stage after-party featuring headliner DJs. Over 2 million people globally have participated in Night Nation events. The series also supports Stand Up To Cancer, an organization dedicated to accelerating cancer research and delivering new treatments to patients.

The Pumpkin Spice Run is a fall race day in Seward Park, featuring short, family-friendly distances and pumpkin-season jokes. Runners can choose the 9K Double Shot, 5K Single Shot, 1 Mile Pumpkin Dash, Stroller Dash, or Kid's Race. The main events use coffee-size names, and the stroller option includes a quarter-mile dash for parents and small kids. The course is set entirely within Seward Park, framing the race as a leaf-and-pumpkin outing rather than a serious road-racing test. Participants may pick a pumpkin from a mini pumpkin patch and carry it while they run. Registration includes a fresh Pumpkin Spice Latte at the finish. The event also adds a pumpkin festival with games and face painting for families.

The West Seattle Monster Dash, a Halloween-themed family race, takes place annually in Lincoln Park on the Saturday preceding Halloween. The primary event is a 5K trail run/walk where participants wear costumes. A timing chip is provided for 5K runners, and strollers are permitted on the course. Younger participants have their own shorter races: a 250-meter Kids Dash and a 100-meter Little Monsters Dash for the youngest children. The event supports South Seattle College Cooperative Preschools, with funds directed towards outreach, equity, and tuition assistance. Costumes are a key element of the day, and prizes for the children's dashes are awarded for both speed and attire. Families can also enjoy the Kids Zone, offering games, activities, prizes, and a raffle, making the race function as a community Halloween gathering as much as a traditional 5K.

The Haunted Hustle 5K & 10K is a Halloween-themed run held at Bronte Creek Provincial Park, situated on the Burlington-Oakville border in Ontario. Participants can select between the 5K or 10K race. Children have the option of a 1K Fun Run, and those not running can walk the 5K loop. The event is designed for families and competitive runners alike, offering medals to all 5K, 10K, and 1K participants, alongside age-group and gender prizes in the main races. The course winds through the park's natural trails, featuring autumn colours as the backdrop instead of an urban setting. Costumes are encouraged, with specific awards for the fastest 5K and 10K runners in full costume, covering adult and under-18 divisions. This event supports Gore Park Community Outreach, an organization dedicated to combating hunger and food insecurity in Hamilton, Burlington, and surrounding areas, aiming to raise $40,000 in donations and net revenue. Activities available include face painting, a bounce castle, pumpkin decorating, and hot dogs, with dogs also permitted.

The Celebrate Veterans 5K is a run/walk in Pierce County on the Pipeline/Orange Trail, starting at 84th and Pipeline Road. It begins in the morning, with race-day packet pickup before the start, and the distance is a straightforward 5K for runners and walkers rather than a long-distance race. The event is built around honoring service members and remembering Americans still missing in action. It partners with Project Recover, a group that works to locate and bring home missing American service members, and the race points to the roughly 81,000 who remain unaccounted for.

The Magnuson Series Seattle Turkey Trot, a Thanksgiving run/walk in Seattle, offers 5K, 10K, and 15K races. All three start simultaneously, preceded by a 400-meter kids dash. As the series' largest event, it requires more attention to bib pickup, arrival time, and carpooling than smaller park races. The event is chip timed, awarding prizes to top finishers in each distance. Free race photos will be available on each runner’s results page. The race supports Food Lifeline, the featured charity. Participants can bring food items to the registration shelter for the University Food Bank. Awards are presented by distance: 5K first, then 10K, and finally 15K. All parking lots are utilized, and some drivers may experience delays exiting due to runners crossing nearby roads, with traffic released in intervals by crossing guards. Volunteers can receive complimentary race vouchers for themselves or others, or fulfill community service hours.

The Holmes Chiropractic Care Gig Harbor Turkey Trot is a Thanksgiving morning race in Gig Harbor, Washington. It begins at 8 a.m. from Judson Street near 3118 Judson St. This is a community turkey trot, not an elite-only event. RFID bib timing is handled by Tortoise & Hare Race Timing, with chip-start timing so each runner’s clock begins when they cross the start line. Packet pickup is available the afternoon before at Gig Harbor United Methodist Church, or from 7 a.m. on race morning at the Judson Street start area. Participants are asked to bring two cans of food, no glass jars. Proceeds support BackPack for Kids, FISH Food Bank, and scholarships for local high school students entering college. Shirts are sold separately, race-day registration costs more, parking requires planning, and city rules prohibit dogs on the course.

The Silverdale Rotary Turkey Trot, a Thanksgiving-season trail race at Newberry Hill Heritage Park in Silverdale, Washington, offers 1-mile, 5K, 10K, and Pumpkin/Kids Dash options. It takes place in the woods, away from streets, sidewalks, or roads with traffic, and the organizer refers to it as a “wild Turkey Trot.” The Silverdale Rotary Club organizes the race, with proceeds supporting local nonprofit groups and hunger-fighting causes. Advance registration is required; no race-day registration is available, though last-minute registration is open during race week. The main course features a wide 2.7-mile fire-road loop of compact dirt and rock, with approximately 200 feet of elevation change per lap for the 5K and 10K. The 10K includes a brief detour onto a narrower side trail to complete the distance. Strollers are permitted, and leashed dogs are welcome, contributing to a local family atmosphere distinct from a competitive road race. Medals are awarded to top male and female finishers in the 1-mile, 5K, and 10K. Age-group winners receive ribbons, and all Kids Dash participants get a commemorative ribbon. The event uses chip timing, and family registration discounts are offered.