Nashville Urban Runoff 5K
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Nashville Urban Runoff 5K and Water Quality Festival
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry and the Tennessee Stormwater Association present the 14th annual chip-timed 5K Urban Runoff event and an accompanying Water Quality Festival in Nashville on August 1, 2026. The run is hosted at Shelby Bottoms Park and Greenway and follows a course that passes several examples of green stormwater management practices.
The Water Quality Festival is free and offers family-oriented activities, hands-on education, and informational displays about runoff, pollution, and green infrastructure. The festival includes educational signage along the race course and features a medication drop-off station staffed by Metro Nashville.
Registration is fee-based and includes a t-shirt, a swag bag, and a participation medal. On-site registrations accept credit card payments only; cash is not accepted. The event is chip-timed and awards prizes to top finishers in overall and age-group categories, with an awards ceremony after the run. A Team Spirit category is part of the race structure.
A Watershed Quality Contest awards a $2,000 implementation grant to a local non-governmental organization for projects that reduce pollutant runoff. Eligible project examples include rain gardens, bio-retention basins, tree plantings, downspout disconnection, and rain barrels.
Volunteers support race operations, waste and recycling, and festival activities; volunteers receive a complimentary t-shirt and snacks. The event benefits the Tennessee Stormwater Association and is held rain or shine. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
