The races are Saturday morning, October 24, 2026.

The 5K race will start promptly at 8:00am. The 1 mile race will start very shortly thereafter.

There is no race-day registration. Registration is online only through runsignup.  

Registration begins August 1, 2026, and runs through 3:00pm on Friday, October 23, 2026, if not sold out before then.

Advance packet pickup will be Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 5:30pm-8:30pm at the front pavillion of Greenbrier Nursing Home (505 Robert Blvd., Slidell, LA 70458). This is the pavillion closest to the roadway (not connected to the main nursing home facility).

Race day packet pickup will by Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 6:45am-7:45am adjacent to the race staging area.

We encourage runners to get their race packets in advance.

Yes; a participant who has the registration information (QR Code) for another racer may pick up the other racer's packet.

Both the 5K and 1 Mile races start and end at the same point: on Independence Drive in Slidell, LA, immediately next to the rectory at St. Margaret Mary Parish (1050 Robert Boulevard, Slidell, LA 70458).

All finishers will receive a religious "finisher" medal at the finish line. Those who register before Oct. 1, 2026, will also receive an official race t-shirt unless they opt out of that selection during registration. 

Yes, every registered participant will be chip timed. Each participant's race bib will be be affixed with a "chip" that will automatically track the runner's race time from when they cross the starting line to when they cross the finish line. Times will be posted in the staging area after the race, but will also be available online, via email notice, and via text message notice (when configured by the participant).

All runners should be physically in the staging area with their race bib on, ready to run, no later than 7:45am on the morning of the race.

Race day parking is available in the Bonne Ecole school lot. Access to the Bonne Ecole school lot is from Independence Drive by way of Rue Rochelle. Independence Drive @ Robert Boulevard will be barricaded--there will be NO ACCESS to Independence Drive from Robert Boulevard.

Limited parking will also be available in select portions of the St. Margaret Mary Parish lot, accessible only via the main entrance on Robert Boulevard (no side entrances will be accessible to vehicles).

Please DO NOT PARK along Independence Drive or Constitution Drive in Heritage Estates, so as not to clog run areas.

After the race awards ceremony, all parking areas must be cleared to prepare for our festival.

Select parking may also be available in area private lots (subject to owner restrictions) and along portions of Robert Boulevard to the north (subject to restrictions by local law enforcement). 

There is no charge for parking in the designated spaces at Bonne Ecole and St. Margaret Mary or along non-restricted public ROWs.

Local businesses may charge for, or otherwise restrict, parking in their lots.

There are numerous porta-potties around our race staging area, close to the start/finish line. There are no restroom facilities on the course.

There is one water station along the 5K course (about 1/2 way through). There is no water station along the 1 mile course. Water and other refreshments will be available just past the course finish lines when participants finish. 

For the safety of all participants, pets are not permitted on the race course. Only service dogs, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), are permitted.

Yes. Participants may wear headphones or earbuds during the race. However, for your safety and the safety of others, please keep the volume low enough to hear race announcements, emergency vehicles, course marshals, volunteers, and fellow participants. Please remain aware of your surroundings at all times and be courteous to others on the course.

Yes, strollers are allowed on the race course. However, those using strollers should start at the back of the field.

There is no gear check. Participants should leave personal items in a locked vehicle or with a member of their cheering section.

To avoid lengthy road closures, only those participants likely to complete a 5K in 60 minutes or less should register for the 5K event.

No. The 5K and 1 mile races are run contemporaneously, with the 1 mile race starting very shortly after the 5K race start.

Yes. School coaches interested in registering their cross country/running team should email sfffrace@gmail.com for information about discounted registrations for such school teams.

No. If you are participating in one of our races through a school/cross country team, you will be registered by your coach. In such an event, you can choose to purchase an official race t-shirt from our store, but you should not separately register for a race.

We do not offer refunds.