Best 5Ks in America?
davemunger
Posts: 1,139 Member
People often talk about destination marathons and half-marathons, and there are some really famous 10Ks like Cooper River, Peachtree, and the Boulder Bolder. But what about 5Ks? Can we come up with a list of really great 5K races worth traveling for? What are your favorites?
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This is a tuffy for me. The "big" one in my area is the Lou Cox Memorial 5K (as far as having an bonafide elites field), but the turkey trot and Halloween events routinely have thousands show up. With strollers. And pets. And lots of children.0
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That Lou Cox race looks like it's serious business. I've noticed a lot of the bigger 5ks are things like Komen Race for the Cure events, where it's more about raising money in a fundraiser than running the race.0
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Can we do a worst 5k's in America? How about all color runs? Running through a parking lot while people throw **** at you? No thanks.0
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Can we do a worst 5k's in America? How about all color runs? Running through a parking lot while people throw **** at you? No thanks.
Ugh I did one of those once for solidarity with coworkers. It was like running through a Walmart fire lane. No thanks.0 -
I liked the Ocala Running of the Donuts. Probably because it was so small that I placed 3rd in my age group after I began running 3 weeks prior. I think I got 44 minutes for the 5K.0
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Mount Marathon in Alaska!
Other than that, I can't really think of any "famous" or well known ones other than the Komen's and the Color Runs.0 -
Just to add a couple of big "serious" races to the list:
Carlsbad 5000
BAA 5K (Boston)
Syracuse Festival of Races (USATF Masters 5K championship)
CVS Caremark 5K (Providence, RI) (USATF 5K championship)0 -
Mount Marathon in Alaska!
Other than that, I can't really think of any "famous" or well known ones other than the Komen's and the Color Runs.
Wow, the Mount Marathon Race is insane!
http://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/last-man?page=single0 -
No fair! I was going to add the BAA 5k. This is my goal 5k!0
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Can we do a worst 5k's in America? How about all color runs? Running through a parking lot while people throw **** at you? No thanks.
Ugh I did one of those once for solidarity with coworkers. It was like running through a Walmart fire lane. No thanks.
Lol!! I've done two. The first one, I couldn't find my friend and had to run it by myself. That blew. The second time, I picked a different friend to go with AND I picked her up and we went there together. We had fun - but it was so D@mn hot that day.
Anyone ever do one of the "electric" 5k's or whatever they are called. They are done at night and everything is supposedly all lit up with lights? It sounds fun/different, but they also seem expensive for what they are.0 -
Anyone ever do one of the "electric" 5k's or whatever they are called. They are done at night and everything is supposedly all lit up with lights? It sounds fun/different, but they also seem expensive for what they are.
We have a local race kind of like that. It's called the Retro Glo 5k/10k. It's a smaller local race, but they have christmas lights, christmas blow ups (it's actually held in October...lol!), music and d.j's along the course and all of the runners are wearing blinkies and glow bracelets. It's actually pretty fun. I didn't get to run it last year and won't this year because it falls on the same weekend as the half I am doing.0 -
I liked the Ocala Running of the Donuts. Probably because it was so small that I placed 3rd in my age group after I began running 3 weeks prior. I think I got 44 minutes for the 5K.
Are you from Ocala? As in Ocala, FL??!! That is my home town! HI!0 -
Can we do a worst 5k's in America? How about all color runs? Running through a parking lot while people throw **** at you? No thanks.
Ugh I did one of those once for solidarity with coworkers. It was like running through a Walmart fire lane. No thanks.
Not to mention the candy colored body parts that I ended up with...yeah...no thanks! I don't mind the ones that use the colored water...like LuvGlo and stuff...but the Color Run and Color Rad can take that Skittles colored powder and shove it! lol0 -
Here in Memphis, the Star2Finish 5K series is a lot of fun. I have to say all 4 because each is unigue in it's own way enough to stand out...but they link them together in a series.
The first one is Zoom Through the Zoo...which I havent' done yet but hear is a lot of fun (doing that this year).
Then next is the Harbortown 5K...which is a lot of fun because the neighborhoods get really involved and post sprinklers and stuff up for you to run through.
Then there is the Gibson Guitar 5K...which takes place down near Beale St.
And finally the Stars and Stripes 5K.0 -
One of the biggest local 5Ks around here is called Beat the Heat. I ran it last year and it was the USATF NC road 5K championship? The course wasn't too bad, but it was a little "Parking-lot-ish" for my tastes and I think the entire 2nd mile was uphill. It starts and ends outside of where Wake Forest plays their home football games. There were a lot of crazy fast times and a lot of USATF prize money. There was good beer and the most pizza I've ever seen in one place. It's also the biggest crowd I've run with since I did the Peachtree with my dad when I was in school (although nowhere near that big, of course). I don't really like running with a lot of people (and not just because I got beat by a 12 year old), but it was a pretty cool crowd.
Since I work holidays, I probably won't run the other two big local races, which are around 4th of July and Thanksgiving. One of them might be a 10K, though.0 -
http://www.therunningoftheballs.com/
I actually want to try this one this year. We usually drive through this neighborhood at least once a year. The balls work really well as decorations.0 -
http://wahoobeach.com/content/underground5k/ they run this underground in Kansas City each Ground Hog day. I want to try it but haven't made it to it yet. Also the Charleston SC Turkey Day trot through downtown.0
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Haddonfield Adrenaline 5k is the Midatlantic 5k Championship. I think it is slightly downhill most of the way (but still USATF certified) and super straight. A very fast course - winners come in under 15 minutes. (And then you can take the speed line into Philly for the day.)
This is an article about it:
http://articles.philly.com/2014-02-10/sports/47171564_1_haddonfield-memorial-high-school-north-jersey-race0
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