Hickory 5K Series

Hickory 5K Series

The Hickory 5K Series runs from March 28 to October 31, 2026 and comprises five separate 5K events plus an option to register for all five races. Events take place at multiple Hickory locations including Hickory City Park, Winkler Park / L.P. Frans Stadium, and the Highland Recreation Center.

The Easter Egg Scramble 5K runs on portions of the Hickory Riverwalk Trail and the Geitner Trail. The course crosses the River Walk bridge, travels through wooded trails of Hickory City Park and Geitner Park, and provides a route that reaches a scenic overlook of Lake Hickory via Peter Cotton Tail's trail.

The Aviation 5K is mostly on the Aviation Trail near Winkler Park and L.P. Frans Stadium. The course includes notable elevation changes, climbs toward the Hickory Regional Airport, a turnaround, a run past the Crawdad stadium, and passage over the Hickory pedestrian bridge spanning Route 321 before returning to the finish near the stadium.

The Lightning Bug Boogie is a night trail run on the Lake Hickory trails. The route mixes paved and single-track trail sections, passes the Butterfly Garden, includes a short technical scramble called The Wall, and finishes on the Geitner paved trail. Good lighting is recommended and the course may be shortened to paved sections if rain makes trails unsafe.

Ruff, Ruff, Run 5K is a dog-friendly course starting and finishing at the Crawdad stadium with options to run on sidewalk or grass and a short single-track segment. The Trick or Trot 5K starts at the Highland Recreation Center and follows a neighborhood route that finishes with a short incline into Stanford Park. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.

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