JJ's Journey for a Cause
About this race
Join us in celebrating our sweet angel's 5th birthday! We can't think of any better way to honor JJ than to participate in a 5K in his memory. Doesn't matter if you run or walk, just get outside and move your feet #forJJ! We invite you to stay and hang out after the race to celebrate JJ's birthday - we will have music, snacks, balloons, and entertainment!
All proceeds will go to First Candle, an organization that works to help bereaved families and hoping to bring an end to SIDS.
In November of 2021 we unexpectedly lost our 5 month old son, JJ. He was a perfectly healthy and happy baby, thriving and enjoying life. What started as a typical Friday morning for our family changed completely when we got the call that JJ had gone down for his morning nap at daycare and did not wake up.
We did everything we were supposed to do and unfortunately have no answers to what caused this tragedy. To honor our son and in hopes to help prevent this from happening to other families in the future, we are working to raise money for research for SIDS.
Race Details
Cost:
5 Miler $50 per person
5K $30 per person
**Price increase 30 days prior to race day**
Ages 5 and under: Free (won't receive a bib for timing)
Kids Fun Run (Color Run)
This year we will be adding a kids fun run as a part of our event. This race will be geared towards elementary school-aged kids, ideally ages 5-12. It will take place on a much shorter course (less than one mile). Kids will be sprinkled with color powder while running to create a fun "color run" experience!!
AWARDS
Awards this year are being presented by Pace Yourself Run Company! A new local running store in Wendell, NC.
Awards will be presented to:
- Top 3 male & female finishers overall
- Top male & female finisher in each age division 1-18,19-24,25-29,30-34,35-39,40-49,50-59,60-69,70+.
***DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR GUARANTEED TSHIRT SIZE IS MAY 9, 2026!!!***
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!!!
We will need to have everyone's requested shirt sizes about a month in advance in order to know how many of each size to order and allow time for production.
Sizes Available: See specific race options at registration.
Packet Pick Up
There will be two options for packet pick up prior to race day. The first packet pick up will be held Thursday June 4th from 5-7 p.m. at Pace Yourself run store in downtown Wendell. The second packet pick up will be held Friday June 5th from 5-8 p.m. at the Farmhouse Cafe in Wendell Falls. If you are not able to attend either of the pre-race packet pick up dates we will also be offering packet pick up on race day but you must arrive early!
5 Miler Race will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday June 6th.
5K Race will begin at 8:00 a.m.
Packet pick up will be from 6:00am-7:30am (Really suggest either picking up the night before or one of the other times during the week if you are local)
Kids fun run will begin at 9:00am shortly after the 5K begins. This is to allow for the racers to start earlier before it gets too hot and to allow everything to remain on the same day.
WE ARE CHANGING THE KIDS RUN THIS YEAR GOING FORWARD
Virtual 5K:
We will also be offering a virtual option for people who would like to participate in JJ's Journey but are not local. You will complete your 3.1 miles anytime between May 31st-June 6th and submit your time to the RaceJoy app.
Follow us on social media @jjsjourneyforacause and tag us in your posts using #run4JJ !!!
Pick your distance
Running
Virtual 5K
Complete your 3.1 miles anytime between May 31-June 6 and submit your time to the RaceJoy app.
5 Miler
Join us this year as we add a 5 Miler to celebrate JJ's 5th Birthday!
5K
Kids Fun Run
Fun run designed for kids ages 5-12 years old. **Untimed** Run as may laps as you can in the 20 minute period. (one lap ~0.33 miles) Medal awarded to all participants!
Typical race-day weather
Based on 5 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Wendell, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 5:58 AM and sets at 8:23 PM local time (EDT) in Wendell on May 31, 2026 — 14h 24m of daylight.
Course
No course map published yet.
The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.
Reviews
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2026 results — JJ's Journey for a Cause
276 finishers across 2 distances · leading places in the 5 Miler
| Place | Name | Time | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Ryder | 31:55 | 6:23 /mi |
| 2 | Courtney Beach | 32:06 | 6:25 /mi |
| 3 | Benjamin Lowry | 32:59 | 6:36 /mi |
| 4 | McKinnon Bowen | 34:03 | 6:49 /mi |
| 5 | Jerod Schell | 34:03 | 6:49 /mi |
Every finisher is on the results page, filterable by distance, gender and age group.
All results by year
Other races near Wendell
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
Trick or Trot 5K at Wendell Falls
Turkey Leg 5K
Feed Your Neighbor 5K
Faster Than Pastor 5k
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Wendell
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Wendell 5K Races 5 races
- Wendell Running Calendar 2026 5 races
Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.
- Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
- Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
- Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
- Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 5 Wendell events
Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.