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5K Celebration

Confidence through
Accomplishment

Each season comes to an end with a celebratory 5K. This closing event gives program participants of all abilities a tangible sense of accomplishment. Crossing the finish line instills confidence through completion and is a joyful moment program participants always remember! Everyone in our program receives a commemorative medal to celebrate this incredible achievement.

5K Celebration

Confidence through
Accomplishment
Hero stars right
Girls on the Run participants cross the finish line of the 5K
Hero stars right
Girls on the Run participant and running buddy hold up their medals at the 5K
A Girls on the Run participant smiles and jumps in a pink Girls on the Run shirt.

5K Event Details

Event
Girls on the Run 5k — Spring 2026
Date
May 23, 2026
Location

McLauchlin Park

202 E Donaldson Ave, Raeford, NC 28376

Time

8:30 a.m. — Girls on the Run tent opens for check in and pre-5K festivities (face painting, bib and sign decorating, Happy Hair etc.)

9 a.m. —  5K begins

~10:30 a.m. — 5K ends

~11:30 a.m. —  5K After Party and End-of-Year Celebration at Red's Corner

Price

Registration Type Price
General (Online) - Register Before May 23 @ 8:30 A.M. ET $10
Event Day (In-Person) - Register Before May 23 @ 8:59 A.M. ET $10 (cash and card preferred) 

NOTE: Program participants have already been registered for the 5K and DO NOT need to register.

5K Registration

Each Girls on the Run (GOTR) season concludes with a joyful and fun non-competitive 5K. This culmination gives girls a tangible sense of accomplishment and the confidence to achieve her dreams. We look forward to you joining this season’s end-of-season 5K to celebrate the accomplishments of your GOTR participant, as well as participants across Moore, Lee, and Hoke counties!

Our 5K will be a joyful, inclusive event meant to celebrate participants after completing the 10-week program. As such, Girls on the Run 5Ks are non-competitive and not timed. You will be so glad you joined us!

Let this information guide you for the big event! 

Race Day Timeline:

  • 8:30 a.m. — 5K check-in begins
  • 8:50 a.m. — 5K participants begin stretching and warming up with their team and coaches
  • 9 a.m. — 5K begins!
  • ~10:30 a.m. — 5K ends
  • ~11:30 a.m. — 5K After Party and End-of-Year Celebration Begins at Red's Corner (Southern Pines)

Parking:

  • There is free street parking available on N. Stewart Street, E. Donaldson Avenue, Main Street, and in the J.W. McLauchlin Elementary School parking lot.

Check In:

  • 5K participants will stop by the Girls on the Run Check-In Tent on event day to receive their bib and other goodies. 

Other Details:

  • Please ensure you arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the event to warm up and ensure everyone in your group is checked in at registration.
  • The 5K will be cancelled only for thunder and lightning, unsafe driving conditions or other hazardous conditions. Please check your email if there may be cause for cancellation.
  • What to wear? Running clothes but make it fun! Girls on the Run is so much fun, and we want our 5K to bring that experience full-circle for our GOTR Girls so if you have fun sparkles, tutus, hats, bright colors that you don't get to wear often enough — now is your time to shine! Program participants are encouraged to wear their green GOTR t-shirt.

What’s the 5K After Party/End-of-Year Celebration?
Girls on the Run Sandhills is proud to be celebrating the end of its very first year of operation, and we want you to join in the fun! After the 5K (~11:30 a.m.), please join our staff, coaches, board members, and volunteers at Red’s Corner in Southern Pines for a casual gathering. Enjoy lunch and drinks from the food trucks, hang out with past, present, and future GOTR participants and families, and celebrate GOTR with us! Come as you are (that is, sweaty and covered in glitter) and stay as long as you'd like. 

Volunteers help ensure our end of season 5K celebration is possible. Interested in volunteering at our upcoming 5K event? Fill out our volunteer form today! 

5K Volunteer Form

We need volunteers for the following activities to ensure our Girls on the Run 5K is a success! 

  • Face-painting Station
  • Bib and Sign Decorating Station
  • Happy Hair Station
  • Water and Snack Station
  • Cheer Squad

Note: All volunteers appointed through our council will undergo a background check. 

Adult 5K participant smiles while running outdoors through the city

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The course for a 5K is 3.1 miles. 

As a reminder, this is a fun, celebratory event for our participants and not a competitive race. While our fastest 5K participants will complete the course in 25 minutes, most cross the finish line in 30 to 50 minutes. Everyone who participates as a Girls on the Run participant or community supporter is encouraged to walk, roll, push, run, or skip at their happy pace!

First, we understand that life happens, and circumstance might make it impossible to attend.

We strongly encourage that all program participants attend and complete the 5K, as it is the goal that teams are preparing for all season long! It’s the ultimate opportunity to build confidence through accomplishment. Remember, this is the first 5K event for many — including coaches, participants, friends, and family members. We are in it together!

For safety reasons, every participant must wear a race bib (provided by the council). Our council ensures every participant has a running buddy, and only critical 5K volunteers have access to confidential information.

To ensure every participant crosses the finish line, we monitor the course and conduct head counts. Our council has a safety plan in place, which trains staff and volunteers on how to respond during an emergency or incident.

Yes. Girls on the Run 5K events are for everyone! All participants can walk, run, push or roll safely and at their own happy pace.

A 5K Buddy is an individual designated by the council or by the parent/guardian to complete the 5K alongside a program participant during the 5K event, for the entire duration of the course.

Yes! This is encouraged! This is a great way to accomplish a goal together. 

Absolutely! Our program girls receive a GOTR 5K medal and all other participants receive a GOTR finisher's button.

Yes! Family, friends and community members outside of our program can participate in the event, but must register.

Yes. All 5K registration forms include liability waivers.

Yes! Our Council is selling merchandise to support our program! Be sure to look for our merchandise booth to commemorate this memorable event.

Yes! As this is the highlight of the season, there will be face painting, bib decorating, and more! Of course, we’ll have merchandise for sale, too!

No! To make the event accessible to all, our registration price will be $10.

Nous écrire

Interested in sponsoring our council’s programs,
5K or a future event?

Email Us

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Two Girls on the Run Coaches smile while running

Join us for our 5K!

Not a coach or a Girls on the Run participant?  
Register to join our 5K event!

5K Registration