The Best DAM 5K Run/Walk in North Carolina

The Best DAM 5K Run/Walk in North Carolina is held in Badin, North Carolina, on October 25, 2026. There is one distance, a 5K open to runners and walkers, and the unusual part is the start time: 3:00 p.m., an afternoon race rather than the usual Sunday morning.

That afternoon start changes how you prepare. You have the whole day to eat, so keep meals light and finish the last one about three hours out, then treat the hour before the gun the way you would a morning warm-up. Stay on top of fluids across the day rather than drinking a lot in the final hour, and do a full fifteen minutes of easy jogging beforehand, since a 5K gives you no time to settle into the effort.