Fried Chicken Festival 5K Run
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The National Fried Chicken Festival 5K Run/Walk
The event is a community 5K run and walk held at the New Orleans Lakefront on Saturday, October 3, 2026, as part of the National Fried Chicken Festival weekend (October 2–4). The 5K is USATF certified and will be timed by Grounded Running. Water stations are placed along the route, which starts and finishes in front of the festival gates, travels westbound on Lakeshore Drive, turns at the Bayou St. John marker, and returns along the same path around Lake Pontchartrain.
Distances
- 5K 5 kilometer race, measured and timed
- Kids 1 Mile fun run for children 12 and under with an accompanying adult
Two registration options are offered: a 5K plus festival admission and a 5K only option. Registrants receive a race bib, finisher medal, race shirt, and access to the official post race party; festival admission is included only with the first option. Registration prices increase in tiers as race day approaches, and teams registering five or more people receive a five dollar discount per entrant.
Prizes include four individual cash awards of $250 and a $1,000 prize for the team with the most participants. The event welcomes runners, walkers, and joggers, permits strollers with safety guidelines, does not allow dogs, and provides ADA accessibility accommodations. Packet pickup will include race shirts and further race information. The festival is produced by Festivals for Good, a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
