5K races near Wake Forest

WoodCreek Cares is an annual charity 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run organized by the WoodCreek HOA Social Committee. This is the event's third year, and it raises money for families affected by STXBP1, a very rare disease, with proceeds directed to the STXBP1 Foundation. Participants can select the timed 5K or the shorter fun run, accommodating both competitive runners and families. The 5K awards the top three overall male and female finishers, and registration includes a race T-shirt, with supplies guaranteed.

The First Pentecostal Church Color Blast begins at Herndon Park in Durham, North Carolina, on a Saturday morning. Both the 5K Run & Walk and 1 Mile Run & Walk start at 8:00 AM. The entry fee for both distances is $30. Morning registration opens at 7:00 AM, and participants should assemble before the start. The course follows an out-and-back route on the American Tobacco Trail. Participants will be covered in colored corn starch during the event. Awards will be presented to the top three male and female finishers overall, as well as top finishers in various age categories. Those who register early are assured a race T-shirt.

The Ostomy 5k in Durham, North Carolina, is a 5K run and walk held at Solite Park on the American Tobacco Trail. The event coincides with Ostomy Awareness Day and includes separate 5K divisions for open participants and ostomates, along with a 50-meter dash for children aged 2 to 8. The race benefits the United Ostomy Association of America, a nonprofit organization providing support, education, and advocacy for individuals living with an ostomy or continent diversion. Participants have the option to form or join teams, allowing families, friends, colleagues, and community groups to register collectively and compete.

The St. Paul 5K, 1 Mile Color Run, & Family Fun Day is a community run held at the WakeMed Cross Country Course in Apex, North Carolina. Check-in begins in the morning, with races starting at 9:00 am. St. Paul American Coptic Orthodox Church presents the 5K Run/Walk, and Alpha Pita sponsors the 1-mile Color Run for participants aged 5 and up. The event is designed for diverse groups: runners can compete in the 5K, walk it, add the optional color run to a 5K registration, or attend primarily for the family activities. The event offers the chance to run with Bishop Peter, Father Angelos Bishara, and Apex Mayor Jacques Gilbert, contributing to a local church-and-town atmosphere rather than a typical road race. 5K participants receive a shirt, medal, and post-run refreshments. Color run participants receive a shirt and refreshments. Stretch Zone Apex provides pre- or post-run stretching. The fastest male and female runners in each age bracket will receive Dick's Sporting Goods gift cards. The day also features food trucks, bouncy houses, face painting, yard games, a volleyball competition, childcare for registered runners, and a 100-meter dash. Fundraising benefits St. Paul's American Coptic Orthodox Church and its project to build a church in Apex.

The Haunted 5K & 10K is a Halloween-season US Road Running event held at Green Hills County Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Both races begin at 9:00 AM. The 5K costs $30 and the 10K costs $45. Registration must be completed via RunSignup prior to race morning, as there will be no on-site sign-ups. Packet pickup is available only from 8:30 AM to 8:50 AM. The course is a concrete out-and-back route within the park, utilizing a 1.56-mile section. The 5K covers this loop twice, and the 10K covers it four times. All participants have a two-hour time limit. The park gate opens at 8:00 AM. Parking is located by the playground on the north side, where bathrooms are also situated. Finishers receive medals, and awards are presented. Runners can earn series points, with the best costume award highlighting the Halloween theme.

The Haunted 5K & 13.1M is a Halloween-themed running race held at 9300 Deponie Drive in Raleigh, North Carolina. Both the 5K and half marathon begin at 9:00 AM. The park gate opens at 8:00 AM, and packet pickup is available shortly before the start. Registration must be completed on RunSignup, as there is no race-day sign-up at the venue. The course consists of concrete, out-and-back laps. The 5K covers the route twice, and the half marathon completes six out-and-back circuits. Parking and restrooms are located by the playground on the park's north side. The time limit for the race is three hours. Finishers will receive medals, and awards will be presented. Series points are awarded, and the costume award provides the race's distinct Halloween theme.

The Triangle edition of the Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk is an October 3.1-mile run and walk held at 11455 Forest Pines Drive in Raleigh, North Carolina. This event is part of the Tunnel to Towers series, established to honor Stephen Siller, an FDNY firefighter who died responding to the World Trade Center attacks. The Raleigh event offers registration categories for adults, first responders and military, youth, and children, catering to families, walkers, runners, service members, and first responders, not exclusively competitive racers. The course is a 5K run or walk starting from the Forest Pines Drive event site, as a detailed street-by-street route is not provided. The Triangle event is in its 14th year and funds Tunnel to Towers programs that support first responders and military families. The series also highlights Siller’s story: following the attacks, he donned his firefighter gear and ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel toward the Twin Towers.

Bull City Race Fest begins and ends at Diamond View Park on Durham's American Tobacco Campus. The DPAC lawn and Blackwell Street area serve as the event hub. This fall race festival offers a half marathon, a five-miler, and a one-mile run, accommodating competitive runners, casual runners, children, supporters, and families primarily attending for the food. The courses traverse downtown Durham, Duke University, and adjacent historic neighborhoods before concluding back at the American Tobacco Campus. The finish area transforms into a Food Truck Rodeo, a central feature of the event. The race benefits the Duke Cancer Institute, with volunteers assisting at the post-race gathering, which includes Duke Cancer Institute shirts and pet therapy dogs.

The Medal Madness 5K & 13.1M in Raleigh is a US Road Running event held at a park on Deponie Drive. Participants can select either a 5K or a half marathon, with both races commencing at 9:00 AM. All runners must register via RunSignup prior to race day; on-site registration is not available. Packet pickup is scheduled from 30 minutes before the start until 10 minutes before the start. The race course consists of concrete out-and-back loops. The 5K covers the loop twice, and the half marathon completes it six times, creating a contained race format. The park opens at 8:00 AM. Parking is located by the playground on the park's north side, where bathrooms are also situated. Finishers receive medals, and awards are presented. Series points are recorded, and a best costume award is part of the event.

The Day of the Dead 5K & Street Festival is a 5K race in downtown Raleigh, beginning at Centro Mexican Restaurant at 9:00 AM. The event honors Día de los Muertos and serves as a fundraiser for the Fox Road Boys & Girls Club. The course goes through historic Oakwood Cemetery, offering a setting more fitting for the holiday than a typical urban route. Following the race, Wilmington Street transforms into a street festival featuring local vendors, food, music, traditional dancers, family activities, Día de los Muertos altars, and a costume contest. This marks the event's fourteenth year, and it is recognized locally as a Raleigh tradition.

HBOT4Heroes Run 4 Their Lives 5K is a Halloween 5K in Apex, North Carolina, near Raleigh. The race starts at 8 AM EDT from 1305 White Oak Church Rd and is organized by HBOT4Heroes. The distance is a straightforward 5K, so it suits walkers, casual runners, families, and people using the day as a themed fall outing. The event raises money for veterans living with traumatic brain injury and PTSD, and the Halloween angle gives runners a reason to show up in costume rather than treating it like a standard road race.

The Martin Marietta City of Oaks Marathon is Raleigh’s hometown running event, held in North Carolina’s capital city in November. The start and finish are in the city center, offering runners four options: the full marathon, half marathon, 10K, and 5K. It is the city’s largest race, with over 7,600 participants and thousands of spectators along the streets. The longer courses go by downtown Raleigh landmarks, including the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts. Martin Marietta’s title sponsorship is visible on the shirts, finisher medals, and mile markers, with the race incorporating mining and rock puns. The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences benefits from the fundraising, with donations supporting local quarry specimens and geology education; dinosaur mascots have even appeared on race day.