Kensington 8K
About this race
Fun and Fast for 33 Years
Since 1994, the Kensington 8K Race has been a favorite DC area fall race - a fun, fast event with beauty, challenge, and excitement. Run it this year on September 19, 2026!
Our Community Event
Known throughout the DC area as a true community race - parents and kids cheering on each other and welcomed visitors running through Kensington and Rock Creek Park.
Benefits Local Schools
Eight local schools - Kensington Parkwood ES, North Bethesda MS, Silver Creek MS, and Walter Johnson HS, plus now North Chevy Chase ES, Oakland Terrace ES, Rock View ES, and Rosemary Hills ES - benefit from race net proceeds, with more than $350,000 raised since 2009!
Pick your distance
Running
8K Race
Start at historic Town Hall and run through Old Town Kensington, past Warner Mansion, along Antique Row, beside 120+ year-old and by Noyes Library, the oldest library in MoCo. Head down Kensington Pkwy then out-and-back along Beach Drive before returning up Kensington Pkwy for a fast finish through Old Town. Must maintain 15 min/mile pace. 8K = 4.97 miles.
2M Challenge
Great for both runners and walkers alike, the route starts at historic Town Hall, past Warner Mansion and beside 120+ year old homes and by Noyes Library, the oldest library in MoCo. Then down onto Kensington Pkwy for a long straight-away, before a u-turn at Saul Rd., heading back around the Circle to a fast finish through Old Town. Must maintain 20 min/mile pace.
1K Fun Run
A family favorite for all ages. The runnable and walkable route starts at historic Town Hall and into Warner Circle, running around Noyes Library, then returning through Old Town for a fast finish back at Town Hall. Run, walk, carry, pull, cajole - however you finish, it's definitely fun for all. Must complete in 15 minutes. 1K = 0.62 miles.
Typical race-day weather
Based on 6 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Kensington, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 6:53 AM and sets at 7:10 PM local time (EDT) in Kensington on September 19, 2026 — 12h 17m 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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Results — Kensington 8K
Other races near Kensington
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
Turkey Chase Charity Race
Somerset Elementary School Back to School Classic
Mcrrc X Girls on the Run
Tri Game Sports™ JR Race Series by F2Bk - Moco
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Kensington
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Kensington Running Calendar 2026 2 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, 2 Kensington events
Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.