Trail Running calendar near Cary 2025-2026

The Back in the Day 5K is a nostalgic running event held at East Davidson High School in Thomasville, North Carolina. The race features a relatively flat, two-loop cross country course starting and ending at the East Davidson Football Stadium, with 80% paved surfaces and the remainder on grass and c..

The Friday Night Lights - Elon Opener is a cross country running event held in Elon, North Carolina, serving as the season opener for Elon's cross country team. The race features a men's 6k and a women's 4k, with women running four laps and men six laps of a 1000-meter course. This evening race offe..

The Small Team Challenge is a running event held in McLeansville, North Carolina, at Keeley Park. It features multiple races catering to different age groups and skill levels, including an Elementary Mixed 2K, Middle School Girls and Boys 3K, and High School/Open Girls and Boys 5K races. The event e..

Carpe Diem – Carpe Noctem Half Marathon and 10K, staged by Trivium Racing, brings Michigan’s favorite format to Hagan-Stone Park in Pleasant Garden, North Carolina. The event offers a Half Marathon and 10K in both daytime and nighttime editions, with a Double option that pairs day and night races on..

The Roanoke Canal 5k is a trail running event held in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, following the historic Roanoke Canal Trail built in 1823. The course features a natural surface with mostly flat terrain and some hills, passing over original canal culverts and a large bulkhead once used for mill..

Located at Sugg Farm (Bass Lake Park), Grigsby Ave, Holly Springs, NC, Sugg Farm Ultra offers Holly Springs’ first ultramarathon. The event features 20-, 40-, and 50-mile trail races on a 5-mile out-and-back course composed of mulch, gravel, and single-track trails with a few hills. Aid stations at..

The Cane Creek Mountain Trail Run, held in Snow Camp, NC, offers a challenging and scenic trail running experience with 10K and half marathon distances. Set in the 1,000-acre Cane Creek Mountain Natural Area, the courses feature stellar single-track trails, steep climbs including a 300-foot ascent t..

The Buzzard Rock Ultra, held in Robbins, North Carolina, offers challenging trail running on the Bear Creek Trail System. Featuring a demanding 10-mile loop known as the hardest in Moore County, the course includes rolling singletrack trails, steep climbs, and scenic views, including a summit at Buz..

Central Children's Home Cross Country Run takes place in Oxford, North Carolina at the Central Children’s Home grounds (211 W Antioch Dr). This festival-style event comprises 14 races, including the women's 6,000-meter and men's 8,000-meter cross-country runs, plus youth divisions and the Granville..

Cape Fear 24 Hour Endurance Run takes place in Lillington, North Carolina, on a USATF-certified 0.59-mile asphalt loop surrounding the town’s Parks and Recreation baseball fields. The mostly flat course features one small incline and is designed for runners to go as far as they can within 24 hours,..

The FRC Deerfly Trail Race is an annual trail running event held at Carvers Creek State Park in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Celebrating its fifth year, the race offers timed 11K and 6K distances through scenic longleaf pine forests in the Sandhills area, where participants may spot local wildlife..

The Uwharrie 100 Mile and 100K Trail Run takes place in the Uwharrie National Forest near Troy, North Carolina. The race features a challenging 20.5-mile figure-8 loop of technical trails with roots, rocks, and a lush forest canopy. Participants in the 100-mile event complete five loops, while 100K..

The Uwharrie Gold Rush is a challenging 50K trail race held in the Uwharrie National Forest near Mt. Gilead, North Carolina. The course features a 20.5-mile figure-8 loop of technical trails with roots and rocks under a lush forest canopy.Runners first complete the southern 11.5-mile portion before..

The Rootrock Trail Run is an annual trail running event held at Briar Chapel in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, featuring 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon distances. Set within a 900-acre green community, the race courses traverse over 20 miles of single-track trails characterized by roots, rocks, and hills,..

Medoc Trail Races, held at Medoc Mountain State Park in Hollister, North Carolina, offers two trail distances: a 10-Miler and a 5-Miler. Runners share the same start/finish area and run similar courses, with the 10-Miler adding mountain bike trails and a summit loop. The routes traverse wooded, ofte..

Triple Lakes Trail Race is a fall trail running event in Greensboro, North Carolina, centered around Lake Brandt, Lake Townsend, and Lake Jeanette at Bur-Mil Park. Athletes describe a friendly, supportive atmosphere on scenic watershed trails. It offers half marathon, marathon, and 40-mile ultra dis..

Held in Raleigh, North Carolina, the Schenck Forest Trail Race is staged at the Carl Alwin Schenck Memorial Forest near NC State on Reedy Creek Road. The 6.2-mile trail course winds mostly on single-track through creeks and rolling hills adjacent to Umstead Park, crossing streams, bridges, and the s..

The Eno River Run is an annual trail running event held at Eno River State Park in Durham, North Carolina. Celebrating its 14th year, the race offers two distance options: 6 miles and 11 miles. The course features challenging single-track trails, a river crossing on foot, and a brief bouldering sect..

The Tough as Trails Race Series, presented by Bull City Running Co., is a challenging off-road trail running series held in North Carolina across multiple scenic locations including Eno River State Park, Uwharrie National Forest, and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. The 2025-2026 series features three ra..

The Joint Special Operations (JSO) 10K Run and 5K Walk is a unique trail race held at Historic Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The all off-road course features challenging terrain including dirt, mud, gravel, and sand along tank trails and fire breaks. Open to all ages and abilities, the event attracts..