Events
Hickory 5K Grand Prix Series
Aviation 5K
Lightning Bug Boogie 5K
Ruff, Ruff, Run 5K
Trick or Trot 5K
Sponsorship Opportunities
Click the icon below to download the attached PDF.
Place
Hickory, NC US 28601
Description
Included Events:
Easter Egg Scramble 5K - Henry Fork Park, 5655 Sweet Bay Ln., Hickory, NC
Saturday April 12, 2025
Aviation 5K - L.P. Frans Stadium/Winkler Park 2500 Clement Blvd. NW, Hickory, NC
Saturday May 24, 2025
Lightning Bug Boogie 5K Night Trail Run - Hickory City Park, 1581 12 th St. Dr. NWW, Hickory, NC
Friday August 15, 2025
Ruff, Ruff, Run 5K (Dog Festival) - L.P. Frans Stadium/Winkler Park, 2500 Clement Blvd. NW, Hickory, NC
Saturday September 27, 2025
Hickory Trick or Trot 5K - Highland Recreation Center, 1541 8th St. Dr. NE, Hickory, NC
Saturday October 25, 2025
Awards, Categories, Scoring & Rules
The Hickory 5K Grand Prix Running Series uses a point system based on results from each race. Runners who score in the top overall or top age group positions receive points at each of the five races. The top 3 male and female runners in their respective age categories and overall top 3 males & females receive awards, merchandise and gift certificates! Hickory 5K Grand Prix Series awards are not duplicated. An individual can win in the Overall Category or age group, but not both.
CATEGORIES
Age groups are as follows for both Males & Females:
0-9
10-14
15-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70+
Top 3 overall Male and Female
(Top 3 M/F will not medal in age groups)
SCORING PER RACE:
1 = 50 11 = 2
2 = 45 12 = 2
3 = 40 13 = 2
4 = 35 14 = 2
5 = 30 15 = 2
6 = 25 16 = 1
7 = 20 17 = 1
8 = 15 18 = 1
9 = 10 19 = 1
10 = 5 20 = 1
In the event of a tie at the end of the season:
The winner will be determined by who has placed higher the most often
Greater number of events completed
The person who placed higher in the final race of the Series (Trick or Trot 5K)
RULES:
Every participant must run with the official bib number assigned. Be sure to look at the label affixed to your number to check that your information is correct and that you are wearing the number assigned to you. Switching or selling a bib is prohibited without prior/explicit authorization of a race official. Having another person run with your assigned bib is forbidden. Your race number is required to always be visible during the race and attached to the FRONT of your shirt/shorts. This position is where the bib is most visible to photographers, race officials, video, chip timing equipment, and manual backup timing methods.
If you are not registered for the race, you are not allowed to participate in that event. Bandits are strictly prohibited. A bandit is anyone who participates in an event without registering and without a race number. This is not only a safety issue (as race officials are unable to identify bandits in the case of an emergency), but also a drain on course resources for paying participants. If caught, bandits will be asked to leave the course immediately. Banditing may also impact a participant’s eligibility to participate in future races.
Participants must complete the entire course under his/her own power. If it is deemed that a participant did not complete the entire course under his/her own power, the participant will not be eligible for awards and will be removed from the official results.
No participant in the race will be allowed to be paced or given unauthorized aid by a person not officially entered in the race, whether on foot or by any other means, including bicycles, mopeds, scooters, motorized vehicles, etc. Unauthorized assistance is grounds for disqualification. However, someone may be paced by another official participant provided that both participants abide by all race rules.
Any participant responsible for jostling, running across, or obstructing another participant as to impede his or her progress shall be liable for disqualification from that event.
No participant shall use any equipment which is determined to be improper by a race official, including but not limited to equipment that might provide an unfair advantage or endanger other participants.
Any participant who refuses to obey the directions of any event official, city official, or course marshal; conducts himself/herself in an unsportsmanlike manner; or is offensive by action or language to officials, volunteers, participants, or spectators may be disqualified by the event and from future participation, at the discretion of race officials.
All runners have a collective responsibility to keep the event safe. Races generally discourage running with strollers or headphones. If you run with a stroller, you must start at the back of the start group and yield to all other participants. If you must run with headphones, please keep the volume low enough to hear vehicular traffic and instructions from law enforcement officers, volunteers, and race officials. Running with an animal is prohibited unless specifically and explicitly allowed by race officials.
Anyone wishing to participate in a race utilizing a wheelchair, hand cycle, other mobility assistance device or a service animal must contact race officials no less than 4 weeks before race day.
Contact Information
If you have any questions about this race series or its scoring, please use the following email address:
lriddile@hickorync.gov
Race Contact Info
If you have any questions about this race, click the button below.
Easter Egg Scramble - Henry Fork River Park
Easter Egg Scramble - Henry Fork River Park, 5655 Sweet Bay Lane, Hickory, NC
This course is relatively flat. It encompasses all of the paved trail in the park plus an extra segment (to get the mileage) which uses the new soccer fields, and a little more, as an outline for the course. Be prepared for a trail type path and some gravel road which takes you back to the traditionally paved trail.
On the first lap don't be sketched out because you will pass the Start/Finish line going the opposite way then loop all the way around the paved trail to the additional section for a second time.
Aviation 5k - Winkler Park/L.P. Frans Stadium
Aviation 5K - Winkler Park/L.P. Frans Stdium, 2500 Clement Blvd. NW, Hickory
This course is nearly all on the NEW Aviation Trail and has a little bit of a challenge to it. The challenge being elevation. The course takes you up to the Hickory Regional Airport then makes a u-turn and back down past the Crawdad's stadium along the Aviation Trail out to the NEW Hickory pedestrian bridge (over Route 321). Once you get to the opposite side of the bridge you'll make your way to the New picnic shelter where you'll make another u-turn and run back to the Finish Line in front of the Crawdad Stadium.
Lightning Bug Boogie - Hickory City Park (Lake Hickory Trails)
Lightning Bug Boogie Night Trail Race/Run - Hickory City Park, 1581 12th St. Dr. NW, Hickory, NC
LOOK for reflective arrow signs as you run the trails...
This course starts out on the Geitner paved trail runs slightly downhill to the main trail head area then vears left passing the "Bike Pump Track" and going down a single track trail (Elevator). At the bottom of the "Elevator" trail you will then ascend up to a portion of the "Broyhill" trail until it dumps out onto the Geitner paved trail (going hard left) then making a right onto "Spring Loop" trail following it until the next trail head opening. There you'll take a left across the paved trail back into the woods on an unnamed trail. This unnamed trail loops back up to Geitner paved trail. Then you will take a series of on-and-off single track and paved trail efforts until you reach, "The Wall." This 30 foot long scramble (25% grade) puts you back onto the Gietner paved trail for the final 1/4 mile stretch to the finishline.
This challenging course demands that you have a good head lamp and if you're compelled an extra chest light or hand-held flash light.
This course is VERY FUN especially if it's a full moon or there are few clouds in the sky.
In case of rain we will evaluate the course conditions and abbreviate anywhere we feel is unfit for running. If necessary we will run an out-and-back on the paved trail only.
Ruff, Ruff, Run and Dog Festival - Winkler Park/L.P. Frans Stadium
Ruff, Ruff, Run 5k - Winkler Park, 2500 Clement Blvd. NW, Hickory, NC
This course is a fun NEW course for both you and your dog. We'll start and finish at the front of the Crawdad's stadium. The majority of this course you have the option of running on the sidewalk or on the grass. There is a single track trail section which goes for approximately 1/2 mile. Two laps are required to complete 3.10 miles or 5K.
Trick or Trot 5K - Highland Recreation Center
Trick or Trot 5K Highland Recreation Center, 1541 8th St. Dr. NE, Hickory, NC
We have a NEW COURSE! We hope you will enjoy this final race in our first ever 5k Series. The course starts out as it always has, in front of Highland Recreation Center then turns back and runs behind the facility back out toward 8th Street Dr. NE making a left onto the sidewalk. Travelling up the hill, making a left onto 19th Ave NE, then making a slight right turn onto 11th St. NW over to where you'll make a left onto 21st Ave. NE. Running on the sidewalk make a left onto 5th St. NE. Follow that past the new housing development to 12th Ave. NE. make a left and go down the hill. Make another left onto 13th Ave. NE. Go around the blind corner and make a left into the Stanford Park (Highland Rec. Center) back enterance. Run that slight 1/4 mile incline to the Finish Line!
Directions
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