OCNJ First Day 5K Run/Walk
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OCNJ First Day 5K Run/Walk
The OCNJ First Day 5K Run/Walk is a 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) event held on the Ocean City Boardwalk as part of Ocean City's First Night/First Day celebrations. The race starts and finishes at the Ocean City Music Pier (Boardwalk at Moorlyn Terrace). The course is an out-and-back entirely on the Boardwalk with a turnaround at 23rd Street. The broader First Night/First Day program also includes a "First Dip" in the Atlantic Ocean.
Registration, fees and awards
Registration is available online and on race day. Advance registration fees are listed as $25 through Dec. 24, 2025, then $30 for Dec. 25–29; advance registration closes Dec. 29. Race-day registration is noted as $35. Pre-registered participants, and race-day registrants as supplies allow, receive a First Day beach towel; towels are available to the first 600 registrants. Entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Proceeds benefit Ocean City Recreation Scholarships and Programs.
Awards are given to the top three overall finishers in Male, Female and Non-Binary divisions using gun time. Age-group awards, based on chip time, are presented to the top three in the following groups: 9-and-under; 10–14; 15–19; then by decades from 20–29 through 70–79; and 80-and-over. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.