13 running, walking, and ultra events in Elizabethtown, Kentucky

Fall in Love with the Cupid Shuffle through Freeman Lake Park! ❤️

Get ready for a morning full of love, fun, and running at the Cupid Shuffle 5K, happening on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at Freeman Lake Park in Elizabethtown. Whether you’re coming with your sweetheart, your best friend, or just ready to run solo, we will have a great time!

Event Details:

Date: Saturday, February 14, 2026

Location: Freeman Lake Park

Time: Packet pickup starts at 7:30 AM

Race begins at 8:30 AM

The Cupid Shuffle is hosted by the Rineyville Optimist Club, and every step you take will help them continue their incredible work supporting kids and families in Rineyville, Hardin County, and beyond.

Registration Fees:

Early Bird (before January 10, 2026):Adults: $25

Youth (18 & under): $20

After January 10, 2025:Adults: $30

Youth: $26

All participants will receive a finishers medal and a little sweet chocolate for Valentines Day.

Don’t wait—sign up today!

Central Kentucky Athletics presents: The Heartland Hustle

Join us for the Heartland Hustle, a premier running event featuring 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon distances along the scenic trails of Freeman Lake in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Open to runners and walkers of all ages and experience levels, this event offers a welcoming, community-centered atmosphere while promoting healthy, active lifestyles.

Whether you're aiming for a personal best or simply enjoying a morning outdoors with friends and family, the Heartland Hustle delivers a rewarding race-day experience — all in support of youth athletics in Central Kentucky.

Event Details:

Date: Saturday, March 21, 2026

Location: Freeman Lake Park, Elizabethtown, KY

Start/Finish: Lions Club Pavilion (adjacent to the new playground)

Park Access: Please use the Old Freeman Lake Park Entrance for the best access to race staging.

Packet Pickup: Begins at 7:00 AM on race morning

Race Options:

5K

10K

Half Marathon

Strollers are welcome, and leashed (non-retractable) pets are permitted on the course. The event is designed to be family-friendly and inclusive.

Participant Perks:

High-quality finisher’s medal

Professionally timed race with results posted live

Support a Great Cause

All proceeds benefit Central Kentucky Athletics and its mission to develop and support youth sports programs across the region.

Registration & Pricing:

5k: $25 (early bird through 1/22/26) - Regular Rate: $35

10k: $35 (early bird through 1/22/26)- Regular Rate: $45

Half Marathon: $65 (early bird through 1/22/26)- Regular Rate: $75

Register early to secure the best rates and guarantee your race swag!

Join Us

Experience the Heartland Hustle—where community, competition, and cause come together. We look forward to seeing you at the start line!

Please join us for our 9th annual Autism community event, the Autism SpectRUN 5K, at the Elizabethtown Sports Park!

All proceeds from this family fun 5K will benefit Camp TESSA of Hardin County. Camp TESSA (Teaching Effective Social Skills to Students with Autism) is a week-long summer day camp provided in Hardin County. Participants engage in various activities to practice social skills, including music, art, mealtime, games, and field trips. Support is provided by multiple community members, teachers, therapists, parents, and peer partners.

Each runner who registers by April 1st will receive a race t-shirt! T-shirts will not be included in the 9 and under category (unless registered as a paid participant). The deadline to sign up and get a guaranteed t-shirt is April 1st! Participants must pick up shirts at packet pickup or day of the race.

Medals will be awarded to participants at the finish of the race.

Packet Pickup

Packet pickup for the race will be held on Friday, April 17th, from 4-6 at Elizabethtown Sports Park at the soccer pavilion at the back right corner of the sports park or the morning of the race starting at 7:30!

Awards

All Runners will receive a finisher's medal.

National Crime Victims Rights Week (NCVRW) 2026 will be observed each year in April. KINSHIP is a state of being with survivors that drives vital connections and increases access to services, rights, and healing. KINSHIP is where victim advocacy begins. The Elizabethtown Police Department Victim Services will be hosting a Community Resource Fair and 5K on Monday April 20, 2026 in support of local crime victims. There will be multiple Community Partners with resources available on day of the event. The 5K is FREE. The resource fair will run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The 5K will start at 6:30 p.m. Chief Jeremy Thompson and Attorney General Russell Coleman will speak in support of Crime Victims at 6:10 p.m. Free Shirts and Run bags will be provided to those that sign up by April 6, 2026 at 11:59pm.

Big news this year: Light The Night 5K is now a THREE-race series!

CASA of the Heartland will host the Light the Night 5K: Superhero Walk/Run on Friday, May 8, 2026, at the Elizabethtown Sports Park. Our goal is to raise awareness for the most vulnerable children in our community—and use this night to pay tribute to our local heroes who protect and serve. This event is a celebration of those hometown heroes, and a chance for all of us to show up for kids who need someone in their corner.

And now, the mission goes even farther with two more races:

Meade County — June 5, 2026

Grayson County — August 21, 2026

Working together across all three events, we’re aiming to provide every child victim in Hardin, Breckinridge, Grayson, LaRue, and Meade counties with a CASA volunteer advocate—and hope for a better future.

Gavin’s Gallop 5K isn’t just another race on the calendar. It’s a chance to stand beside families walking through something most of us can’t imagine.

All proceeds from this event go to Gavin’s Gifts, a nonprofit helping families affected by Batten Disease, a rare childhood condition. Your registration helps provide financial assistance, home modifications, and care-related support for families who need it.

Click Here for more information on Gavin's Gift.

Join us on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at the Lions Club Pavilion at Freeman Lake Park. The course follows the scenic trail by the lake on an out-and-back route, with a water stop at the turnaround.

Race Details:

Date: Saturday, June 13, 2026

Location: Lions Club Pavilion, Freeman Lake Park

Start Time: 8:30 AM

Packet Pickup: Race morning only, beginning at 7:30 AM

Registration:

Adults: $35

Kids 12 and under: $20

Every participant will receive a finisher’s medal to mark the day and the difference you helped make.

We hope to see you at Freeman Lake Park on Saturday, June 13, 2026.

Now Officially Managed By Central Kentucky Race Management!

Central Kentucky Race Management and The Hardin County History Museum proudly present the 7th Annual "Tim Walker Founders' Day 5K Run/ Walk" on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at the Elizabethtown Sports Park. This historic event is dedicated to one of the Founders' Day organizers Tim C. Walker who also served as mayor from (2011-2013) before his term was cut short by his untimely death on June 14, 2013.

Tim Walker shaped the history of Elizabethtown and Hardin County and made it a better place, so please join us on July 4th!

Registration

Registration is $25

Each registered runner will receive a Race T-shirt (to be guaranteed a T-shirt, please register by the shirt deadline of June 19, 2026)

Kids 9 and Under run for only $10

Packet Pickup

Packet pickup will be race morning beginning at 7am at the soccer pavilion located near the back of the park on the right. The race will start at 8 am. The course will remain inside the sports park and travel along the asphalt walking trail surrounding the park. Each loop will be 1.55 miles long. There will be a water stop after the first loop. Bathrooms will be open for the runners at the Sports Park.

This race is a fundraiser for the Hardin County History Museum and is in honor of our late Mayor Tim Walker, who created Founders' Day. The event moved last year to the Sports Park he loved and helped create, making the day even better.

About Tim Walker

Tim was a history lover and an outstanding leader at the museum, in the local community, and in his church. As a leader, he shared his faith and his vision to improve the quality of life for all. This 5k is dedicated to his memory and was created to honor his legacy by bringing families together in downtown Elizabethtown to celebrate our city's birth.

Robert F. Kennedy once said, "It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an idea or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope."