July 4th Run NEW JERSEY 2026

New Jersey hosts multiple Fourth of July 5K races with local historical connections. One is a free 5K at East Jersey Old Town Village in Piscataway, and another is the Bill Oliver 5K in Riverton. The Piscataway race begins at a reconstructed historic village within Johnson Park. It uses chip timing, limits participants to 250 runners, and offers shirts, finisher medals, complimentary photos, and age-group awards. Riverton’s event is a yearly USATF-sanctioned 5K starting at Sacred Heart Family Center on 4th Street, proceeding through the town’s historic streets. The East Jersey Old Town course follows paved roads and paths, consisting of two out-and-back loops on Johnson Drive while the road is closed to traffic. The unique aspect is its setting: the village features buildings from the 1700s and 1800s. Many of these structures were saved from demolition by Dr. Joseph Kler and local residents before being relocated and restored on the site. The holiday theme extends beyond typical decorations, with historical figures like General George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Baron von Steuben sometimes present for a Revolutionary War commemoration. Riverton’s race is a more traditional town-street holiday run, with supporters lining the shaded neighborhood roads.