Mercy Health 5k & Fun Run - NC

Mercy Health 5k & Fun Run takes place in Wake Forest, North Carolina, on October 31, 2026. Two formats leave at 9:00 a.m.: a timed 5K over 3.1 miles and an untimed one-mile fun run and walk, so the morning covers both people chasing a result and people simply covering the distance.

The untimed mile is the useful option for anyone who is not ready to be measured yet, whether that is a child, someone returning from a layoff, or a walker. Nobody is watching a clock, and the distance is short enough to be enjoyable rather than daunting. For the timed 5K, four weeks of running three or four times a week with one faster session is enough to arrive prepared, and racing it gives you a current pace to plan your winter training from.