Spooky Sprint 5K Melrose

The Spooky Sprint 5K begins and ends on E. Foster Street next to the Melrose Family YMCA. Runners, often in Halloween costumes, participate in this race typically held the Saturday before Halloween. This community 5K in Melrose, Massachusetts, attracts over 700 participants and is part of the YMCA of Metro North’s annual road race series, connecting seven communities through YMCA-hosted events. The course follows Lebanon Street, passes through Pine Banks Park, and loops back toward Main Street before returning to the YMCA. Costumes are encouraged, with a prize for the best outfits. Standard race awards are given to the top male and female finishers overall, and the top three in each age group. The event supports the Y’s Annual Campaign scholarship fund, enabling access to YMCA programs for those unable to afford the full cost; one recent edition generated over $20,000. The series also features races like Saugus’s Not a Walk in the Park 5K, Lynn’s Stride Along the Tide 5K, and the Torigian Family YMCA’s LiveSTRONG for the YMCA 5K.