We’ve all run that same three-mile loop a thousand times, and we desperately need to switch it up. And switching it up is easy, because there are literally thousands of 5K and 10K races taking place around the country in the upcoming months. Why not sign up for one and mix things up a little? It’s basically the same distance as your daily tour of the neighborhood, but now you get a change of scenery, a gaggle of fellow competitors, and perhaps a T-shirt and medal.
A short race is always a delightful addition to your running calendar. For starters, they don’t require much training (unless you want to), they don’t take much time, and they’re so plentiful that you can probably find one nearly every weekend of the year within an hour of your home. Bonus, it’s pretty easy to convince a friend to sign up to run three miles or so with you, whereas that half marathon a little break and put your.
Date: Sunday, June 25 races around the country this spring and summer, but we thought it might be fun to compile a list of a few of our favorites in cities big and small. So here are 15 races (of varying distances-all under 10K) that are especially exciting and unique.
Famous Idaho Potato 5K & 10K
Location: Boise, Idaho
Date: Saturday, May 13
Life is better with French fries and so is a 5K. Idaho is of course known for its potatoes, and so it only makes that they host a potato-themed running weekend. While there are full and half marathons on Sunday, Saturday hosts a pair of shorter races. Held on Boise’s greenbelt, the courses are flat and fast before ending at a finisher festival that involves a potato bar. Why doesn’t every race end with a potato bar is the real question.
Bolder Boulder 10K
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Date: Monday, May 29
As one of the largest 10Ks in the United States, it’s hard to find a race that’s a bigger party. The Memorial Day tradition sees upwards of 34,000 runners trotting around Boulder. And while there is certainly a sizable field of elites, most of the runners are just there to have fun. There are plenty of runners in costumes and locals are known to perform singing, dancing, and bongo drumming on the side of the road. There’s even been a Slip-n-Slide available for runners in years past. The 10K culminates in a raucous finish inside University of Colorado in Boulder’s football stadium, where hundreds of spectators (and earlier finishers) hoot and holler at those completing the race.
Furry 5K
Courtesy BTN Big 10k
Date: Sunday, June 11
For many obvious reasons, most races deny entry to our furry four-legged friends, but this Seattle 5K says “the more dogs the better.” If you have a dog or just love being around them, this is the race for you. Bring your pooch along for a three mile run/walk where you can both get some exercise and meet some friends. And if you don’t have a dog but want to spend a morning petting a bunch of other people’s, this race is for you too. This race, however, is not for people with dog allergies. I’m sorry.
Front Runners New York LGBT Pride Run 4M
Best Fitness Trackers
Summer Dash Series
Lucky for you, the Pride Run is not only important activism, it’s also a heck of a lot of fun. With pop songs blasting at the start, free popsicles being handed out at the finish, and lots of smiling faces in between, the race is a celebration of queer life! Plus a portion of the proceeds go to support LGBTQ+ causes. So throw on every bit of rainbow attire you can find and come on down to run with the gays! (If you're looking for a big NYC race that’s just as short and sweet in the fall, check out the NYC Dash to the Finish Line 5K a day before the NYC Marathon in November.)
Boston Athletic Association 10K
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Date: Sunday, June 25
Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is a massively difficult task for most runners, with many training for years before being able to run the historic event. Luckily, the BAA’s 10K requires a lot less effort to enter. Just sign up! Unlike the Boston Marathon, the 10K starts and ends in the Boston Commons with a simple out and back course. If you want a unicorn medal, but don’t want the hassle of running the marathon, this is the way to get it. And if you want more of that Boston Marathon vibe also check out the BAA 5K, usually held two days before the Boston Marathon.
Peachtree Road Race
Date: Sunday, September 10
Date: Sunday, September 24
The world’s largest 10K, this Independence Day race through downtown Atlanta includes over 60,000 runners each year. That’s a mind blowing number considering that the New York Marathon only accommodates 50,000. While some of the races on this list feature more intimate crowds, this one is about as big as they get. If for no other reason, you should run it just to witness the spectacle. Only a premiere organization like the Atlanta Track Club could pull off a race on such a vast scale and have it run seamlessly year after year.
Firecracker 5K
Location: Reston, Virginia
Date: Sunday, September 24
If you’re not one of the 60,000 people running the Peachtree 10K in Atlanta, you can check out a much smaller 4th of July race just outside our nation’s capital. The Firecracker 5K is a patriotic race with part of every entry fee going to the USO. One of the best parts about signing up for a 5K is planning your race day outfit (which can be a bit more form over function given the short distance) and red, white, and blue gives you plenty of fun options to work with. Go crazy and celebrate with a bomb pop when you’re done.
Popsicle Dash
Location: Houston, Texas
A short race is always a delightful addition to your
Speaking of bomb pops, Houston Running Co., an organization that hosts a number of exciting races throughout the year, has a special Courtesy Atlanta Track Club coming up that includes three sets of 5K/10Ks each themed after a summer treat. While the centerpiece is the Popsicle Dash, where obviously popsicles will be provided, they’re also hosting a Lemonade Dash and a Watermelon Dash as a tribute to two other summer staples. Devouring all three after a summer run Summer Dash Series.
BTN Big 10K
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Date: Saturday, July 15
This entry is for Big Ten fans. If you’re not a Big Ten fan, keep scrolling. Actually, also University of Michigan fans can keep scrolling as well, we don’t need you here either (GO GREEN—I’m a Michigan native and have always been an MSU fan.) But, now that I’ve got your attention, if you love one of the universities in the Big Ten (there are confusingly more than 10 now), you can celebrate your school pride at the BTN Big 10K. The race which is run in Chicago allows all entrants to select their favorite team when registering. Then you’re provided a team shirt you can wear on race day. High five your fellow Spartans, try to pass the Wolverines, and then grab a thick slice of Chicago deep dish to celebrate. And, come back in the Fall and run the Chicago 5K in October if you want to catch the excitement of the Chicago Marathon without logging 26.2.
Hemingway 5K Sunset Run
Location: Key West, Florida
Date: Saturday, July 22
Races often give runners the option of length. Pick between the 5K, the 10K, or the half. But very few ask participants to choose between running and paddle boarding. Gorgeous Key West lets entrants enjoy both the sea and the shore as they can sign up for either race (or both if they’re adventurous). And while paddle boarding certainly requires core strength, it might be nice to give your legs a little break and put your arms Famous Idaho Potato 5K & 10K.
Run to Home Base
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Date: Saturday, July 22
Typically, circling the bases and returning to home plate requires running a lot less than a 5K (unless of course you’re Smalls from The Sandlot.) But in this exciting race held each summer to raise money for veterans and their families, runners take on a 5K that ends at home plate in Boston’s iconic Fenway Park. Sure it’s fairly easy to snag tickets to a Red Sox game, but getting on the field is a different story. However, this race will get you on the infield to round the bases and stomp down on home plate (but with sneakers rather than cleats.)
Golden Gate 10K
Location: San Francisco, California
Date: Saturday, August 6
If you’re looking for a run that provides ample iconic photo opportunities, then might I suggest this San Francisco race through Golden Gate Park? With a 10K, 5K, 3K, and double 8K (that’s the 5K and 3K combined) there is a distance for everyone, and all four races give runners plenty of time to stare at the gorgeous bridge spanning the San Francisco Bay. You don’t run over the actual bridge (you’ll have to sign up for the San Francisco Marathon for that), but the view of the bridge isn’t that good if you’re on it anyway.
Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Run
The 2024 Marathon and Half Marathon Calendar
Location: Mackinaw City, Michigan
While we’re on the topic of bridges, let’s discuss this Michigan race run every Labor Day on the bridge that connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas. Runners will start on the northern side in St. Ignace and race across the five-mile-long suspension bridge toward Mackinaw City. Enjoy views of Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Mackinac Island as you hustle across. Then celebrate with six pounds of fudge and a spa day at the Grand Hotel.
Santa Monica Classic
Courtesy BTN Big 10k
Date: Sunday, September 10
“There’s a place on Ocean Avenue, where I used to get up and run with you.” Okay so that’s not exactly how the Yellowcard song goes, but it is true of the Santa Monica Classic. The So-Cal race, which offers 5K and 10K distances, runs along the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica in an out-and-back course that ends near the famous Santa Monica Pier. Jump into the waves after the race to cool off and grab a bite to eat from one of the food stalls. Also, you already know what your playlist should be. How many times can you listen to “Ocean Avenue” during a 10K?
Great Race 5K & 10K
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Date: Sunday, September 24
If you haven’t been to Pittsburgh’s Point Park, you really owe it to yourself to visit. And why not visit during the city’s massive 5K/10K held each September? Point Park is a triangle of land that juts out into the Ohio River at the point where it is formed by the joining of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, and the race finishes right there. The photo opps by the giant fountain with the city’s skyline in the background are unmatched. Yinz can finish up with a trip to Primanti’s or Sheetz.
Matthew Huff is a freelance writer and runner, and he is the author of MARATHONER: What to Expect When Training for and Running a Marathon, published by Rizzoli Publications. His writing has appeared in Runner's World and BuzzFeed Date: Saturday, July 8 “P.S. You’re Wrong: A Pop Culture Podcast.” Originally from Michigan, he now lives and runs in New York City, where he is pursuing a career as an expert chicken tender taster.
