Home Stretch 5K for Homeless Vets

Home Stretch 5K for Homeless Vets is run in Melbourne, Florida, on November 8, 2026, with the 5K starting at 8 a.m. It supports National Veterans Homeless Support, an organization working to end veteran homelessness in Central Florida through outreach, prevention and support services for low-income and homeless veterans and their families. Entrants receive a race shirt and a finisher medal, there is beer for anyone over 21, music mixed by DJ Yves, and awards for the overall and age-group winners.

This is a road 5K, short enough to sign up for on a week's notice and forgiving enough to walk with a friend. Racing it well is a different matter, because the distance hurts precisely for the reason it looks easy: you hold a hard pace the whole way. Two tempo runs a week for a month, plus a full 15-minute warm-up on race morning, covers most of what you need.