Veterans Day 5k

Coon Dog Day 2025 will be held in Saluda, NC on July 12th and the 5K will be better than ever!

PACKET PICKUP, Friday July 11: 🌭Free hotdog at packet pickup! Please pick up your race bib and tshirt at the Saluda Inn at 229 Greenville St., Saluda, 5-8 pm. Follow the packet pick-up signs.

SATURDAY MORNING, July 12: New Race Day Checkin Location- Looking Glass Realty at 108 East Main. St, beside the post office.

The start/finish line is on Main Street. Note: All registration will be online through the runsignup.com page. No paper forms for late/ walkup registration, so bring a phone. You can register until the race starts with a phone.

PARKING- 5K parking is available only until 9:30am at the First Baptist Church, the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration and Saluda United Methodist Church for the race only. If you want to stay for Coon Dog Day, please move your car out of those lots by 9:30am (the shuttle will bring you from the festival parking lot at that time). Parking is also available at the Saluda Elementary School back (bus) Parking Lot on Seminary Street (short walk to start line on Main Street) and there's no rush to leave the school lot.

The Coon Dog Day 5K is hosted by and is a fundraiser for Saluda Elementary School. The run begins in McCreery Park beside Main Street at 8am and follows the traditional Coon Dog Day 5k route.

T-shirts guaranteed if registered by Memorial Day, Monday May 26th.

Chip timing is back for the 5K for all participants to track their time for this annual festival run!

And new for 2025- Really Sweet🍯and Locally Made Awards 🐝! Award Categories: 9 and under, 10-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70+.

The KIDS' Fun Run with clock timing and a new route for the kids is back.

Plan to stay for the daylong festival of crafts, food, music and quirky small town fun.

We sure do appreciate our 2025 Sponsors. We couldn't do this without our:

Top Dogs- Sandy Bee Mine Honey Company, Looking Glass Realty and Upland Orchard

Big Dogs- Don Mintz Builders. Saluda Outfitters, Mountain Sky Builders, Stepp Ditching, Adventure Cycles, Solstice Construction, Wakey Monkey, the Orchard Inn and the Saluda Inn.

Porch Pups- Jim Carson Gallery/Studio, Carolina Cottage Guest House and Kevin Burnett

Proceeds from the Coon Dog Day 5K and Kid’s Fun Run support Saluda Elementary School, with a primary focus on literacy and other educational resources that enhance teaching and student success.

Join us for an unforgettable summer 5k or 10k race, winding through the picturesque rolling hills of the historic Biltmore Forest neighborhood. Celebrating our 4th year for this event.

These scenic Biltmore Forest races promise a memorable experience, all while supporting a great cause—the Kiwanis Club of Asheville. Learn more about the impactful work done by the Kiwanis Club here.

Register for both the Biltmore Forest 5k or 10k AND the Biltmore Kiwanis Classic 5k or 15k and save 10% on registration. Register Here for the Kiwanis Running Series.

Friday July 24:

Early Packet Pick Up at Mountain Running Company, 4 Tunnel Rd S, Asheville 4:30-6pm

Online Registration closes 12pm Friday. No onsite registration, No race day registration.

Saturday July 26:

Event location: Carolina Day School, 1345 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville, NC 28803

6:30 am – Packet Pick Up opens

7:30 am – 10k Race Start

7:40 am – 5k Race Start

8:45 am – Awards Begin (tentative)

Awards

Top Awards for 5k/10k

Gift Certificates from Mountain Running Company will be awards to the following as well.

$30 1st place male/female

$25 2nd place male/female

$20 3rd place male/female

Age Group Awards

A special commemorative prize will be awarded to the top three in the following categories.

5k

9 and Under; 10-19; 20-29; 30-39; 40-49; 50-59; 60-69; 70-79; 80-89; 90 and over.

10k

9 and Under; 10-19; 20-29; 30-39; 40-49; 50-59; 60-69; 70-79; 80-89; 90 and over.

Ready, Set… WOOF! 🐾

Join us at Patton Park on Saturday, August 1 for the 4th Annual Bark & Bolt Races, presented by Hunter Subaru, in Hendersonville.

This family and pup-friendly morning celebration features something for everyone — two-legged and four-legged alike.

Choose from the Bark & Bolt 5K or One Mile, and have the option to join in the crowd-favorite 100-Meter Paw Pursuit. New for 2026, all registered participants will earn a Bark & Bolt finisher medal, making this year’s event extra special!

After the races, stick around for the Top Dog Contest and Bark in the Park Dog Fair, featuring local, pet-friendly vendors and community partners.

We’re proud to partner with Blue Ridge Humane Society, helping support rescue efforts and connect more pups with loving homes.

New & Noteworthy for 2026

• New! Official Bark & Bolt Finisher Medal

• Youth pricing available: $25 early/$30 late

• Youth-sized race tee options

• New! Bike Corral option — ride your bike to the event and earn a fun thank-you incentive!

Whether you’re running with your dog, walking with family, or cheering from the sidelines, Bark & Bolt is all about community, connection, and celebrating our love for dogs. Come make a morning of it — and help us make tails wag all across Hendersonville.

The Let Your Light Shine 5K is a fundraising walk or run and for the first time will be held on a Saturday morning. It will be timed by Finish Well Timing. This will be Western Carolina Rescue Ministries' 8th annual 5k race to raise funds and spread awareness of the ministry’s community impact. This event will take place on Saturday August 8, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in Asheville’s Carrier Park, and all proceeds from this event will directly benefit WCRM.

As we embark on another year of service and outreach, we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. This year, we want to include you in playing an even greater role in our ministry. We will be pursuing funding for the need of life transformation across all our programs.

This event is one of the Ministry’s most significant opportunities to raise funds in support of our community and these funds will be directly used to break the cycles of homelessness and addiction in our region. For the past 46 years, WCRM has been serving the homeless community of Asheville providing rescue, recovery, and restoration to people in crisis. We care for our clients with dignity, providing help, hope, and opportunity for our ministry participants to reengage in society. Whether it’s a hot meal, a warm shelter, or recovery from addiction, our compassion shines on everyone we meet.

Packet Pick Up under the Pavilion starts at 8:00 am

We're excited to present the Twilight Trail 5k at Kanuga, Saturday, August 8th, 2026!

The Twilight Trail 5K is a golden-hour trail race at the Kanuga Conference Center designed to welcome runners of all abilities. Featuring a thoughtfully designed 5K course with mixed surfaces and gentle elevation changes, this event offers an approachable introduction to trail running while remaining engaging for experienced trail runners.

You're invited to come just for the trail race or make a full weekend of it at Kanuga. After the finish, runners can enjoy healthy food, relax by a bonfire (weather permitting), and spend the evening connecting with others in a laid-back, community-forward environment.

Kanuga Trail & Tri Weekend Challenge!

Make a full weekend of it and participate in both the Twilight Trail 5K, Saturday, August 8th, and the Kanuga Triathlon, Sunday, August 9th! Weekend Challenge participants receive finisher medals for both events, along with special recognition celebrating their commitment and versatility across the weekend, and will also be awarded a Nomadix-style performance towel!

Before you sign up for the Kanuga Twilight Trail 5k: Sign up for BOTH the Twilight Trail 5k at Kanuga and the Kanuga Triathlon at the same time through the link below and receive a discount!

KANUGA TRAIL & TRI

WEEKEND CHALLENGE SIGN UP