National 5K Day

National 5K Day's Official Listing: Click Here!

National 5K Day is a celebration of the distance that started it all for millions of runners — the one that made you believe you could.

The 5K has been part of the Olympic Games since 1912, but long before it was elite, it was personal. It's the first race most runners ever pin a bib to their chest for. It's the distance a parent runs alongside their kid, a survivor runs to reclaim something, and a competitor runs to leave everything on the course. At 3.1 miles, there's nowhere to hide — just you, the clock, and the pure, gut-wrenching challenge of running faster than you thought you could.

Contested across cross-country, track& field, road and trail races — at every level from pre-school to professional, from first-timers to Olympians — the 5K is the great equalizer of racing. And behind every race event, there's a race director who designed the course, pulled the permits, hung the finish line banner, and made sure someone was there to cheer you on. National 5K Day honors all of them. 

Every Valentine's Day 5K. Every Turkey Trot. Every St. Patrick's Day dash and Fourth of July fun run. Every charity race that raised money for something that mattered. Every finish line that felt impossible until it wasn't. This day is for all of it — and all of you.

Lace up. Run a 5K — at an organized event, on your own, or as part of the official National 5K Day Virtual Race, open to runners everywhere. However you cross the finish line, today it counts.

Join fellow runners on May 9, 2026 for the National 5K Day. It's a fantastic 5K featuring a flat and fast course in Anywhere.