Sunshine Festival July 5k & 1 mile
About this race
42nd Annual July 4th Sunshine Festival 5k Race and 1-mile on St Simons Island!
This year’s event is especially meaningful as it coincides with the 250th anniversary of our nation and marks the 40th anniversary of the Golden Isles Track Club. Join us in celebrating both our nation’s history and four decades of local running tradition at one of Georgia’s most scenic and spirited 5K events.
The Road Runners Club of America has selected the Golden Isles Track Club’s Sunshine Festival 5K as an official State Championship Event—an honor that recognizes the race’s quality, competition, and community impact. This prestigious designation elevates the event’s profile, attracting top runners from across the region while offering participants the opportunity to compete in a championship-caliber race on the scenic streets of St. Simons Island. Don’t miss your chance to be part of one of Georgia’s premier 5K experiences.
Pick your distance
Running
5k
1 Mile
Wheelchair
Adaptive Athlete 5k
Typical race-day weather
Based on 5 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Saint Simons Island, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 6:26 AM and sets at 8:33 PM local time (EDT) in Saint Simons Island on July 4, 2026 — 14h 06m 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 — Sunshine Festival July 5k & 1 mile
1,771 finishers across 2 distances · leading places in the 5k
| Place | Name | Time | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brandon Knieja | 15:56 | 5:08 /mi |
| 2 | Lucas Johnson | 16:05 | 5:10 /mi |
| 3 | Richard Andrews | 16:51 | 5:25 /mi |
| 4 | Matt Triick | 17:05 | 5:30 /mi |
| 5 | Maksim Martin | 17:28 | 5:37 /mi |
Every finisher is on the results page, filterable by distance, gender and age group.
All results by year
Other races near Saint Simons Island
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
Veterans Day 5K Beach Run/1 Mile Walk
Under the Helmet 5k Run and Fun Run
Wobble B4U Gobble
Pedal Golden Isles
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Saint Simons Island
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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, 6 Saint Simons Island events
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