Scrub Jay Races
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Event overview
The Scrub Jay Races take place on January 24, 2026 at Oscar Scherer State Park, Osprey, FL 34229. The event includes multiple distance options:
- 5K
- 10K Scramble
- Virtual 5K
- Virtual 10K
In-person entry fees are listed at $42 for the 5K and 10K, with special youth pricing of $15 for ages 0-14 and $20 for ages 15-18. Virtual entries are listed at $52 and may be completed anywhere during January. Registration is open through race morning.
Course, logistics and race features
The 5K uses mostly prepared surfaces - asphalt, pavers and crushed shell - with about the last mile on park trails and a small sandy section. The Scramble 10K is a trail course that includes sugar-sand sections, ups and downs, and new pedestrian underpasses and overpasses; it has a different start than the 5K but shares the finish chute. Packet pick up, starts, finish and post-race area are all near the Nature Center at Lake Osprey and within a short walk of parking.
Registration includes a custom finisher's medal for all finishers, a tech race shirt while supplies last, and a post-race offering of hot dogs (veggie dogs on request), fruit and snacks. The 5K and 10K are gun start with chip-timed finishes and on-site results; participants can opt to receive results by text or email. Awards are given overall and by age categories; detailed age-group splits are specified for each race. Registration fees are non-refundable and not transferable. One hundred percent of entrance fees benefit Friends of Oscar Scherer Park, Inc. and projects for the Florida scrub-jay. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
