Hickory Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism to host series of 5K races
The Hickory Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism Department will host a series of 5K races beginning this April.
From established races like the Lightning Bug Boogie 5K Night Trail Run and the Trick or Trot 5K to brand-new races including the Easter Egg Scramble 5K and the Aviation 5K, these races are designed to encourage Hickory runners to go outdoors and explore different terrains. Each race is unique and poses its own challenges and triumphs.
Each run takes place at a different Hickory location and has its own t-shirt design for all participants.
The first race in the 2025 5K series is the inaugural Easter Egg Scramble 5K. Get your exercise in for the day before the 39th Annual Children’s Easter Egg Hunt. The race begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 12, at Henry Fork River Park (5655 Sweet Bay Ln).
The second race is another new race, the Aviation 5K, which allows runners to run across the iconic Hickory Bridge along the Aviation Walk. This race begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 24, at Winkler Park (2500 Clement Blvd NW).
The third race in the series is the fourth annual Lightning Bug Boogie 5K Night Trail Run. This run is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 15, at 9 p.m. at the Lake Hickory Trails (1581 12th Street Drive NW). All participants in this race must be comfortable running at night and provide their own headlamp.
The fourth run is the second annual Ruff, Ruff, Run, a race where participants are encouraged to run with their leashed dogs. The Ruff, Ruff, Run is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27, at 11 a.m. at Winkler Park (2500 Clement Blvd NW). The Dog Festival starts at 10 a.m., which features dog-friendly vendors, sponsors, and food trucks.
The final run in the 5K series is the Trick or Trot 5K, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 25, at 9 a.m. at Stanford Park (1451 8th St Dr NE). Runners dress in their best Halloween costumes and compete for overall race prizes as well as the award for best costume.
The link to register for all 2025 5K races is runsignup.com/Race/NC/Hickory/HickoryKSeries.
Participants can sign up for as many or as few races as they would like. Those who sign up for at least four of the five races will receive a prize.
To sponsor one of these races, visit https://tinyurl.com/npcurtds.
Please contact Lance Riddile at 828-261-2254 or via email at lriddile@hickorync.gov for more information.