7 running, fun run, swimming, and other events in Woodstock, Georgia

Cherokee Recreation and Parks will host its 20th Annual Guns & Hoses 5K Run/Walk on February 14, 2026, at Hobgood Park in Woodstock, GA.

The purpose of this event is to raise funds for local charities selected by both groups, Guns and Hoses.

The charity for the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office (Guns) is The Frank Reynolds Charities, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to raise funds through events and community initiatives that support individuals in Cherokee County and other local charitable organizations. Funds raised through The Frank Reynolds Charities for this event are earmarked for the Charlie Ferguson Community Center. Donate to the Frank Reynolds Charities here! Donate to the Charlie Ferguson Community Center here!

The charity for the Cherokee County Fire Department (Hoses) is the Goshen Valley Boys Ranch, a nonprofit home providing care and support for young men in Georgia’s state foster care system. Donate to Goshen Valley here!

When registering, participants will select the team they wish to represent, Guns or Hoses, and a portion of their registration fee will be donated to that team’s designated charity.

Dogs are welcome, as long as they are on a leash!

The Guns & Hoses 5K is a certified qualifying race for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race.

PLEASE NOTE: THE 2026 RUNNING OF THE GREAT AMBULANCE CHASE - Will have to be moved date-wise to a future date! At this time, registration is closed, but will re-open once the new date is set! We look forward to having you join us in the future!!

Please plan to join us for the 6th Annual running of “The Great Ambulance Chase 5K” Presented by Piedmont Injury Law! This year's event will be held Saturday, February 21st, 2026 at 9:00 AM 5K Race time and will be held in Downtown Woodstock, GA utilizing the beautiful Noonday Creek Trail! Race proceeds go to benefit the SCAD Alliance (Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection) Additional information on the organization is located here: https://scadalliance.org/

This is A USATF CERTIFIED 5K RACE! And the race route is one we think you will love as it utilizes the amazing Noonday Creek Trail (information here: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/georgia/noonday-creek-trail-woofstock-park-to-downtown-woodstock )while you’ll also enjoy all that Downtown Woodstock has to offer! And you’ll ABSOLUTELY want to hang around for the post-race festivities at the Reformation Brewery!

Also - We are still Accepting Sponsorships!!

Interested in supporting this great race and even better cause? Please reach out to Ken Crosson at [email protected]

Registration:

*$30 Pre-Race Registration Fee (Runs until 11:00 PM, Sunday evening, February 15th.)

*$40 Race Day Registration Fee

5K Start-Finish & Race Day Parking:

*The "Meeting Area" for the Start and Finish line(s) will be located directly behind the Reformation Brewery in the outside Garden area. The actual Start & Finish Lines will be located at the Noonday Creek Trailhead in Downtown Woodstock (located directly across the street from the back of the Reformation Brewery.) There is parking located in and around the trailhead including public lots and surrounding surface streets.

Race Day Schedule of Events:

*7:45 AM Race Day Registration Opens

*8:45 AM Race Day Registration Closes

*9:00 AM 5K Start Time

*10:15 AM 5K Awards Presentation and SCAD Spokesperson.

RACE PACKET PICK-UP:

Race Packet pick-up will be held SATURDAY MORNING (Race day!) beginning at 7:45 AM on the green space adjacent to the Noon Day Creek Trail Start/Finish Line, directly behind / across the street from the Reformation Brewery located at 105 Elm St., in downtown Woodstock, GA. Please note there is no Pre-Packet Pickup; rather, you will just pick your packet up on site Saturday morning. See you then!

Awards:

Awards will be given to the following:

*Top 3 Overall Male and Top 3 Overall Female Winners

*Top Male Master and Top Female Master

*Top 3 Male & Female in the following Age Categories: 10-Under, 11-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70 & Over

Please note, this is a rain or shine event.

Please plan to join us for this very memorable event in support of an outstanding cause!

Official Timing by Wire2Wire Running, LLC

Kick off your 2026 season with a burst of fun, fast fitness at our Spring Indoor Triathlon—the most welcoming, low-pressure way to start (or restart!) your tri journey.

Whether you're a seasoned triathlete looking for an early-season test, or you're ready to do your first triathlon just like so many athletes did with us last fall, this event is designed to set you up for success.

You’ll complete:

10-minute swim

30-minute bike

20-minute run

No pacing stress, no complicated logistics—just you, your effort, and the clock. Go as hard or as easy as you like. Our supportive environment makes it perfect for beginners, returning athletes, and anyone wanting a motivating push after the holidays.

Join us and build confidence, community, and momentum for the year ahead!

Week 5 on 5/10/2026 will start at 3pm

Who We Are: Healthy Kids Running Series is a five (5) week running program in the spring and fall for kids Pre-K through 8th grade. Each HKRS Series takes place once a week and offers age-appropriate running events including the 50 & 75 yard dashes, the 1/4 mile, the 1/2 mile and the 1 mile run. Kids will earn points for each race they complete based on their finish.

Pricing: The registration fee covers the entire five (5) weeks of the Series which includes race bibs for each week, a runner shirt, a finisher medal and any sponsor giveaways. Registration is non-refundable and non-transferable. Online Early Bird registration increases three weeks prior to the first race event.

High School: We also welcome our High School runners! Our high school students will be running a 2 mile race.

Challenger: This Series offers a Challenger Division which is an adaptive 75 yard race for children with disabilities and/or special needs. This allows for parents, siblings, and friends to be on the course with runners to provide support as well as bringing their own supportive devices such as crutches, braces, wheelchairs, etc. to be used by runners.

Makeup Date Information: 5/31/2026

Single Day Racing: Single day race registration opens one hour prior to the start of each race. The registration fee covers one single race to be run on the day of registration. ALL single day registrations should be completed onsite at the race location. Single day racers will have the option to upgrade to the full series (see tab on the left side of the page for instructions). There is a strict no-refund and no-transfer policy.

Awards: All participants receive a medal on Week 5! Trophies will be awarded to the overall top finishers in each of the divisions listed below (broken out by boys and girls respectively):

Pre-K 50 Yard Dash

Pre-K 75 Yard Dash

Kindergarten & 1st Grade

2nd & 3rd Grade

4th & 5th Grade

6th to 8th Grade

High School

Challenger

Share your running photos with our community! Find us on Facebook @HealthyKidsRunning or Instagram @healthykidsrs!

#GetUpandGo

Come celebrate 10 years of CORE Community School and support our mission to prioritize the human elements of education. At CORE, we serve students in grades 4-12 with diverse learning/social-emotional needs, and we believe that "School Should Make You Smile!" The Root & Rise 3-Mile Trail Race kicks off the Root & Rise WellFest on the beautiful Cherokee Outdoor YMCA property. The race begins at 8:00am, with the WellFest kicking off at 10:00am. All proceeds will support CORE Community School and its mission to empower students through connection, kindness & understanding. This family-friendly event will feature fun for the whole family, including a 1-Mile Kids Fun Run! Start your day by running through the beautiful trails of the Cherokee Outdoor YMCA and stick around for food trucks, live music, vendors, workshops, guest speakers, and more at our Root & Rise WellFest from 10am-2pm.

Join us for the 29th Annual Woodstock Freedom Run on July 4th in Downtown Woodstock! We have a new course and gathering area for the race. On race day we will gather at the Arts Green Space on Market Street. The start/finish line will be on Market Street in front of the Stage at the Green Space.

The BIG news this year is that we have added a 10K to the day's activities!!! No need to drive anywhere else if you are wanting to run a fast 10K race on our national holiday, and unlike the other 10K options around the state, we have a great parade afterwards!

Free Gifts

All runners and walkers receive a colorful quality short sleeved t-shirt (guaranteed to all preregistered entrants). Free fruit and lots of water are provided! All registrants are eligible for a drawing of prizes.

Awards

5K/10K - The overall male and female winners as well as the overall masters male and female winners

and the top 3 finishers in the following age groups will win awards: 10 & under, 11-14,15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75 +

1K and Tot Trot - Ribbons to all finishers.

Cost

5K 10K and 1K Early registration

• $30 through 6/12

• $35 through 6/25

• $40 through 7/2

• $50 Race day

Tot Trot: All registered tots receive a colorful quality short sleeved t-shirt and a race award ribbon

• $20 through 6/12

• $25 through 6/25

• $30 through 7/2

• $40 Race day

Event details and schedule

The 5K and 10K begin at 7:00 a.m. (we like to beat the heat!); the 1K begins at 8:30 on the Noonday Trail and the Tot Trot begins at apx. 8:45 a.m. at the Start/Finish area on Market St.

Most parking will be in the new parking deck on Main Street (formerly the home of Morgan's Hardware. Packet pickup/late registration will be gin on the Green at 5:30 a.m.

The 4th of July Independence Day parade begins in the same downtown area at 10:00 a.m.