5K races near Wadsworth

KJ's 5K for Mental Health and Animal Rescue is a community 5K run/walk held at Portage Lakes State Park in Akron, Ohio. The in-person race begins at 9:00 am. A virtual 5K option is also available, allowing participants to complete the distance anywhere within its early-fall timeframe. This event is designed for local runners, walkers, families, and supporters, not exclusively competitive racers, with discounted entry fees for children aged 1 to 15. The park location provides a straightforward 3.1-mile course for the in-person event. The virtual option permits participants to cover the distance by running, walking, biking, crawling, or any other method away from the designated start line. Proceeds benefit local mental health and animal rescue organizations. The day features awards for the top three male, female, and youth finishers, followed by a remembrance and presentation. Virtual race packets contain a custom KJ's 5K shirt and a finisher medal.

Cere-bration Walk, Roll, Run Akron is a community race day in October featuring a timed 5K, a 1-mile walk/roll, a Kids Dash, and a virtual 5K for participants at home. The Akron event supports traumatic brain injury support in Ohio, where over 1.9 million people live with lasting effects from a TBI. Both the 5K and 1-mile events begin in the morning, accommodating runners, walkers, wheelchair users, families, supporters, and spectators. The event focuses on bringing together survivors, caregivers, teams, and fundraisers. All proceeds fund free programs and services for brain injury survivors and caregivers throughout Ohio. The day includes a Survivor Celebration Zone, food, team recognition, and awards for the largest team, top fundraising team, top individual fundraiser, and best submitted team photo.

The Green Bulldog Dash is a school-community running event in Uniontown, Ohio, held at Green High School Athletic Stadium on Steese Road. Each October, runners and walkers can choose from a certified 5K, a 1 Mile Run/Walk, or a 200 Meter Dash Family Fun Run. The 5K route circles the high school athletic stadium. The shorter options accommodate families, younger children, walkers, and first-time participants. Green Local Schools organizes this 15-year-old event, with proceeds benefiting nearly 2,000 students at Green Primary School and Green Elementary School.

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo hosts this annual morning event with two options: a 5K run/walk at 8:30 AM or a 1-mile walk at 9:00 AM. Presented by CrossCountry Mortgage, the event supports the zoo’s conservation efforts, not just local racing. Participants choose a species to support: Andean Bear, Asian Turtle, Giraffe, Gorilla, Lion, or Rhino. With over twenty years of wildlife protection work, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo links a short, accessible course to a direct conservation fundraiser. Spectators are welcome inside the zoo with advance online tickets; membership does not grant spectator access.

5KRunDead Zombie Run is a nationwide 5K series where runners try to get through a zombie-filled course without losing their “health” flags. Participants can sign up as runners or as zombies, so the same event works as both a short race and a chase game. The organizers describe it as the most affordable zombie run in the country, and the series has listed stops in at least 35 U.S. cities. Proceeds go to scientific research on Alzheimer’s disease, with some event material also naming cancer research as a beneficiary. The course is built around flag football-style survival: runners start with flags, zombies try to pull them, and anyone who reaches the finish with at least one flag survives. Zombies get free professional makeup before the race, with makeup artists on site to turn volunteers into more convincing pursuers. A DJ is part of the event setup, and participants receive a 5KRunDead shirt, refreshments, and a chance at prizes after the run.

Join the 3rd Annual Move for Mental Health at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. This event supports teen suicide prevention. Participate in the run or walk and enjoy snacks, goodies, music, a wellness health fair, family activities, and giveaways. You may also enjoy the zoo after the race. Dogs are not permitted.

At the Sancta Clara Nun Run, nuns cheer participants as the 5K enters the monastery grounds. The Saturday morning run/walk starts at St George Byzantine Catholic in Canton, Ohio. Registration is capped at 300 due to fire-code and parking limitations. The event benefits the Poor Clares sisters, with proceeds supporting the nuns and the renovation of Sancta Clara Monastery. The course includes local streets, the Middlebranch trail, and the monastery grounds, giving it the feel of a parish-and-neighborhood fundraiser rather than a typical road race. Strollers are permitted, and those not participating in the run or walk can opt for a shirt-only package. A kids fun run precedes the 5K, followed by awards, refreshments, food, face painting, and a balloon artist. All finishers get a running nun medal, and the race marks the start of the Poor Clares' anniversary observance in Canton.

The Monster Dash is a Halloween-season 5K and kids’ fun run in Spokane, held in Manito Park on the South Hill. The 5K starts in the morning and uses chip timing, while the Kids’ Fun Run follows with 1-mile, half-mile, and quarter-mile options. This setup allows parents to run the 5K first, then join their children for the shorter race. The kids’ races finish with candy goodie bags, and grownups can walk or run beside children for the whole course. Costumes are a significant part of the day, with most participants dressing up, and dogs and strollers are welcome. The MonsterDash series changes theme each year, with past themes including Dracula, spiders, skeletons, Frankenstein, aliens, and witches; music, food, expo items, gifts, collector bibs, and costume awards align with the theme. Race proceeds support Active4Youth, a local nonprofit focused on getting children into sports and healthy activity.

The TuscParks Annual Canal Tavern of Zoar 5K Run and Walk is an afternoon 5K on the Towpath trail in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. It starts at Fort Laurens Museum and finishes at the Canal Lands Park trailhead near Zoar, with runners and walkers using the same point-to-point trail route. Parking and registration are handled at the Canal Lands Park trailhead, and a free shuttle carries participants to the start at Fort Laurens. The race is hosted by TuscParks and the Canal Tavern of Zoar, with proceeds going to upkeep of the Towpath trail and nearby features. After the finish, awards and door prizes move to the Canal Tavern, where the day ends with an Octoberfest-style patio party with bratwurst, beer, and music.

The RePlay for Kids Halloween Run is a charity race in Medina, Ohio, hosted at the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities. It offers a chip-timed 5K for runners, an untimed 1 Mile Fun Walk for a more casual outing, and a virtual option for people who want to support the event from elsewhere. The race supports RePlay for Kids, a nonprofit that repairs, adapts, and gives toys and assistive devices to children with disabilities. Costumes are encouraged, so the event leans more family-friendly and playful than strictly competitive. People can sign up on their own or join a team, and virtual participants receive mailed race shirts and gift bags. The 5K still has a competitive side, with awards for the top overall male and female finishers and age-group winners.

The Cleveland Metroparks Halloween 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Walk is a costume-encouraged race morning held within the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. The 5K begins at 8:30 a.m., with the 1-mile walk starting at 9:00 a.m., allowing participants to select a shorter race or a more relaxed zoo walk. Packet pick-up begins at 7:00 a.m.; race-day registration is available online only. The primary attraction is the location: participants run or walk through the zoo, and zoo admission is included with race registration. Costumes are encouraged, and all participants will receive a custom race shirt, a finisher medal, and refreshments after the race. Spectators may watch from within the zoo but require online zoo tickets; memberships do not grant spectator entry, and tickets will not be sold at the box office. Dogs are not permitted at the event.