Events
NC Fossil Fest 5K - In Person
Place
Aurora, NC US 27806
Description
The in-person NC Fossil Fest 5K run will be held on Sunday, May 24, at 8:00 am in Aurora, NC.
Join us for our Annual NC Fossil Festival 5K Fossil Run! The 5K will take place in the Town of Aurora. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Aurora Fossil Museum. Race bibs can be picked up on race day in front of the Aurora Fossil Museum at 7:00 a.m. Please arrive by 7:30 a.m. so you can park in the designated Festival Parking (grass lots south of Main Street), walk to the Race Start, and pick up your bib before 7:50 a.m. If you arrive after 7:45 a.m., you may be late starting the race. After the race, stay and enjoy the Fossil Festival activities! Dig for fossils, visit the food and product vendors, and explore the educational booths!
All runners participating in-person will be eligible for awards. Awards will be given for the Top 3 Overall Male/Female, as well as the Top 3 age group awards for Male/Female.
If you can't make it to the in-person event, you can opt to participate in our virtual event from May 17 to May 31. See Virtual FAQ's for more information. An $8 shipping fee will be added to the registration fee to cover the cost of mailing your race packet to you.
All racers, whether in-person or virtual, will receive a custom Finisher's Medal to commemorate participation in this year's Fossil Fest 5K!
All racers signing up by April 22nd will also receive a 2026 North Carolina Fossil Festival T-shirt! Encourage your family and friends to sign up with you for this jaw-some swag!
2026 NCFF 5K Finisher Medal!
Register and complete either the 5K Run or the Virtual 5K and receive the 2026 NC Fossil Festival 5K Finisher Medal! A perfect addition to any awards/trophy case and some really cool bragging rights while supporting the Aurora Fossil Museum!
Parking on Memorial Day
Beat the rush on Festival Sunday!
Get here early for the 5K run and stay to dig in the pits and participate in the Festivities for the rest of the day! Parking will be in the two fields shown below - there will be Festival Parking signs at the entrances to the fields. No parking will be allowed along the race route.
5K Course Map
Here is the Course Map for the Memorial Day NC Fossil Fest 5K! Start and Finish at same location on Main Street.
Big Thanks To Our Sponsors!
Event Timed by Run The East, LLC
This event is timed by Run the East! With professional race timing services and a focus on delivering accurate results,
we’re here to make your race day seamless and enjoyable. Learn more at runtheeast.com.
Race Contact Info
If you have any questions about this race, click the button below.
RaceJoy
Interactive Race Day Experience with RaceJoy
Live Phone Tracking, GPS Progress Alerts and Cheers!
We are providing you with RaceJoy as part of the official race experience for the NC Fossil Fest 5K.
Download the RaceJoy mobile app in advance to ensure proper phone setup. Invite your friends and family to track you and send you cheers!
Some key RaceJoy features include:
GPS Progress Alerts
- Receive continual progress updates as you complete your goal.
Live GPS Tracking
- Remote spectators can track your progress live in a map view. You can also track others.
Send-a-Cheer
- Receive supportive audio cheers from remote friends & family.
Virtual Results (virtual events only)
- Enter your race-assigned bib number to automatically submit your finish data for real-time scored results.
