Tentative Schedule

Friday May 22, 2026

> 6:00 pm Kids Races (Start line Ocean & Atlantic Avenues)
> 10 am to 8 pm  Packet Pickup for SL5 at the Spring Lake train station.

Saturday May 23, 2026

> 6:30 AM Race Day Packet Pickup
> 8:00 AM Roads on race course will be closed to traffic. Get there before 8 if you want to park close to the start.
> 8:30 AM Start of 5 mile race (Start line at Ocean & Sussex Avenues)
> Post-Race Beginning-of-Summer Party!

Bibs are mailed to all runners in mid-April 2026.

Pre-Race Packet Pickup schedule is listed on our website here.

In 1977, five hundred runners lined up for the first Spring Lake Five. Thanks to your help, the race has grown into one of the country’s biggest and best running events. Since 2002, the Friends of the Spring Lake 5, Inc. race has raised over $3,713,713 for local charities including the Spring Lake Recreation, the numerous volunteer groups that support the event and many worthy charitable organizations. 

The 2026 will be the 48th Running of the Spring Lake Five Mile Run!

No Headphones, Baby Strollers, In-Line Skates or Pets.
> Entry is strictly limited to 12,500 participants.
> Entry fee for 5 Miler is $65.
> No refunds.
> USATF Certified Course.
> Custom Designed T-Shirts to all entrants, with option to select cotton or technical shirt.
> Commemorative pint glass for all entrants.
> Medals for all finishers.
> Mugs for the top 100 male & top 100 females.
> Digital clock & aid stations at each mile.
> Electronic chip timing.
> Awards to first 10 male & 10 female finishers.

Important

• No Headphones, Baby Strollers, In-Line Skates or Pets.
• For the safety of all, there will be enhanced security at this year’s race. No backpacks will be allowed.
• Pay attention to all race signage: “KEEP OUT” means “KEEP OUT”.
  
• No refunds or deferring to another year.

Online registration will open on Super Bowl Sunday at 5:00 AM.  Registration will close once the maximum number of entrants has been reached.  We do not offer paper/mail-in or in-person registration.  Once the race is sold out, we suggest you register for the race through our Charity Partner Program - all funds go directly to that charity.

Sorry, Strollers are strictly prohibited in this race. The crowd is just way too big as well as well as our insurance company does allow them.

Our insurance company policy below Safety - For the safety and enjoyment of all runners, the course is restricted to registered runners, wheelchair division athletes and official race personal. Dogs, skateboards, in-line skates, roller skates, bicycles, and baby joggers/strollers are prohibited. We also strongly discourage the use of radio/recorder headphones.

NO HEADPHONES PERMITTED

It means all headphones and earbuds. This is a race with 12,500 runners and at times you need to be able to hear directions from course officials and in the case of an emergency you need to be able to hear First Aid and Police and Homeland Security announcements. We had an incident a couple of years ago with a runner who had an health emergency and collapsed on the course. It was extremely hard to get Emergency personnel to him because of the number of people wearing headphones and not being able to hear instructions.