Run Wild 5K at the North Carolina Zoo
About this race
SOLD OUT - to the shock of everyone, the 2026 event sold out within hours of opening on February 1. We are sorry if you were not able to get in and hope you'll be able to join us next year!
Welcome to the 2026 Run Wild 5K at the North Carolina Zoo! The event will take place on Saturday, June 13, with a start time of 7:30 a.m.
This event isn't just about running—it's about making a difference. All registration fees go directly toward protecting our native salamander populations, the small but vital species living right beneath our feet.
Each registration comes with a Zoo ticket, an event tee, and a commemorative sticker.
The race will take place on North Carolina Zoo property. The route is on paved visitor pathways and features rolling hills typical to the foothills of North Carolina. The course will begin at the North America Connector road, continue into the Zoo through the Africa and North America continents, and conclude at Solar Pointe picnic area. Don't be surprised if you hear the roar of lions or howling of red wolves along the way!
There will be refreshments and festivities at Solar Pointe for participants to enjoy in celebration of completing the race.
The start and finish lines are near Solar Pointe, just outside Zoo gates. This means spectators are able to watch and cheer for friends and family at both the start and finish. (However, they will not be allowed to access any parts of the course inside the Zoo during the race.) The Zoo will open to all guests at 9 a.m. after the race concludes.
This event is open to all ages, walkers and runners alike. You need to be able to complete the event in 90 minutes because that's when the course closes.
REGISTRATION LIMITED TO 650 PARTICIPANTS!
Pick your distance
Running
5K
$5 discount for Youth 17 and under will be automatically applied during registration.
Typical race-day weather
Based on 6 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Asheboro, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 6:02 AM and sets at 8:36 PM local time (EDT) in Asheboro on June 13, 2026 — 14h 33m 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.
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2026 results — Run Wild 5K at the North Carolina Zoo
5K · 595 finishers
| Place | Name | Time | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jesus Ibarra | 20:54 | 6:44 /mi |
| 2 | Travis McLain | 21:02 | 6:47 /mi |
| 3 | Kyle Joy | 21:14 | 6:51 /mi |
| 4 | Ivan Gomez | 22:17 | 7:11 /mi |
| 5 | Ayla Amon | 22:17 | 7:11 /mi |
Every finisher is on the results page, filterable by distance, gender and age group.
All results by year
Other races near Asheboro
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
Blue Comet Turkey Trot
Randolph County Young Life Winter Sprinter 5k
Grit Turkey Trot 5K
FitForLiberty Turkey Trot
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Asheboro
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Asheboro 5K Races 7 races
- Asheboro Running Calendar 2026 7 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, 8 Asheboro events
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