The Ultimate List of Races in the Charleston Area
Training for a Marathon or just love running? From 5K to Triathlons, here is my Ultimate List of Races in the Charleston Area.
Spring
The Cooper River Bridge Run provides a world-class 10-K foot race. The race promotes continuous physical activity and a healthy lifestyle through education and opportunity.
Bulldog Challenge: 10K obstacle run
The Bulldog Challenge is hosted by The Citadel's Semper Fi Society and provides the community with a unique and challenging physical endurance course.
Celebrate St Patrick's Day at the Catch the Leprechaun 5K Run/Walk. This scenic race offers spectacular views of the Cooper River Bridge, USS Yorktown and Charleston Harbor. After the race, there will be live music, a great post race party, a pot of gold for the winners and iqoptions prizes for everyone who finishes before the Leprechaun.
200 miles: Red Bank Arena in Lexington, SC to The Firefly Distillery (North Charleston)
70 miles: Moncks Corner,SC to The Fire Fly Distillery (North Charleston)
Race the Landing: 5K
iFiveK: 5K
Since its debut in 2007, the Charleston Digital Corridor’s iFiveK race has become the favorite annual race and networking event among Charleston’s tech professionals. Proceeds from the iFiveK support the CDC’s education and diversity initiatives. This weekday evening race is limited to 500 race participants and starts at 6:30pm at the Charleston Tech Center in downtown Charleston.
AMOR 5Kale Yeah: 5K
The AMOR 5k will be held on the beautiful grounds of the Woodland Nature Reserve. The non-paved course meanders around the lakes of the property with the start and finish at their picturesque beach area. Open to runners, walkers and people who love to be outside in nature. We also invite anyone that would like to join us to learn about AMOR's mission and meet some of our Sponsors & local Vendors. This plant-based event will have food, beer and live music so bring your blanket, chairs and friends. Our goal is to make this a zero waste event so bring your water bottle and beer mug too.
Savage Race - Charleston
5M, 3M, 25 obstacle run
Moms' Run: 5K
Join us by supporting a cause that helps women and their families suffering from maternal mental illness. Postpartum Support Charleston hosts the 20th annual Moms’ Run + Family Fun Day on May 13th! The annual 5K Moms’ Run is Postpartum Support Charleston’s largest fundraiser, allowing the organization to further its mission of providing support and resources to women and their families struggling with maternal mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, OCD, and psychosis during and after pregnancy.
Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series Race: 5x a year
The Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series at James Island County Park features a 600-yard freshwater swim, 12-mile bike ride, and 5K flat run. Over 30,000 people have raced the series over the years, and the series has been honored as one of the Top Ten Charleston Signature Sport Events by the Charleston Metro Sports Council.
RiverDogs: 5K
5K Run (3.1 Miles). Split times at each mile and water stations at the halfway point. The course starts in front of Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park and finishes at home plate (weather permitting).
Presented in conjunction with Palmetto TRIbe, our annual youth triathlon at James Island County Park is a multi-sport experience like no other in the area - the first to offer an open-water swim. This is an excellent opportunity for youth to experience a lake swim in a safe, well-monitored course. After the swim, participants will traverse the shaded paths and roads inside the park on the run and bike course.
Mullet Haul Trail Run: 5K & 10K
Take to the trails of Johns Island County Park with our Mullet Haul Trail run, featuring a 5K and 10K race!
Summer
Bulldog Breakaway 5K Twilight Series
The Bulldog Breakaway is a series of events put on by the Citadel Track & Field/ XC program.
Hosted at The Citadel. The race will kick off at the Citadel's rubberized track and run through Hampton Park. Dogs and strollers are welcome at this event.
Hosted by the Charleston Running Club with help from the Sullivan’s Island Fire & Rescue Dept., this race has had a loyal following for over 25 years! Proceeds from Floppin’ Flounder benefit Sullivan’s Island Fire & Rescue Dept. and the Charleston Running Club (CRC).
Fall
Join the Low Country Chief Petty Officer's Association, Charleston RiverDogs, and Palmetto Military Support Group in the 2nd Annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Ballpark. The event includes a short program featuring retired NYFD Firemen Bill Butler and Frank Hauber, and allows for participants to use the ballpark's steps to climb 110 stories to honor the 412 first responders who sacrificed their lives to save others on September 11th, 2001.
9/11 Heroes Run - Charleston: 5K
The 9/11 Heroes Run 5K welcomes runners, ruckers, and walkers of all ages and fitness levels to honor the heroes of 9/11 and those who've served our nations since. We activate & unite communities and empower local veterans, active duty, first responders, and families of the fallen.
Isle of Palms Connector Run Walk for the Child: 5K 10K
Join our fight against child abuse in the Lowcountry.
The Avondale 5K was created in 2010 to help fund the Charles Webb Center. The CWC is a developmental day care operated by the Disabilities Board of Charleston County, serving children with special needs from age 6 weeks to 10 years old.
James Island Connector Run: 5K 10K
The James Island Connector Run (JICR) provides one of the most scenic race routes in the Southeast and one of the most challenging courses in the Lowcountry! Overlooking the beautiful Ashley River and the historic downtown peninsula of Charleston, this 10K Run and 5K Run/Walk goes across the James Island Connector. The post-race festival will be held at Cannon Park and includes music - Forty Mile Detour! - as well as food and a beer garden.
Heal Our Heroes: 5K
The mission of operation Heal Our Heroes is to help stop the widespread suicide endemic that has plagued our nation’s veterans. Participants will traverse a designated route along the Isle of Palms beach with the starting point being located behind TheWindjammer. The 2.5KM "Turnaround Point" will be located near the Beach Access path in between 34th and 35th Ave.
Charleston James Island Connector Run: 5K/10K
The James Island Connector Run (JICR) provides one of the most scenic race routes in the Southeast and one of the most challenging courses in the Lowcountry! Overlooking the beautiful Ashley River and the historic downtown peninsula of Charleston, this 10K Run and 5K Run/Walk goes across the James Island Connector. The post-race festival will be held at Cannon Park and includes music - Forty Mile Detour! - as well as food and a beer garden. The Charleston James Island Connector Run benefits the Gavalas Kolanko Foundation, a local charity that awards annual scholarships to students with physical disabilities in the Lowcountry.
LUNG FORCE Run/Walk Folly Beach: 5K
Small Steps, Bold Strides. Join us and turn small steps into bold strides toward a world without lung cancer and lung disease.
GoMillerGo: 5K
#gomillergo 5k to raise awareness for Spinal Muscular Atrophy and to raise money for a cause close to our hearts. This year we are raising money for MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital, and specifically for brain tumor patient support, in honor of my grandmother, Susan Weeks.
Turkey Day Run: 5K
The annual Turkey Day Run & Gobble Wobble is a U.S. Track & Field certified five kilometer race that winds through historic downtown Charleston and out to the peninsula. Marked by beautiful scenery and historic landmarks, the majority of the course is flat - descending slightly in the first half of the race to the peninsula and then rising on the return route.
Cooper River Bridge Run - Kids Run
The free Cooper River Bridge Run Kids Run and Family Festival will take place at Stoney Field from 1:00 to 5:00 pm with family yoga and lots of outdoor activities and games. Free hotdogs will be available for children while supplies last. The races will kick off with a Mascot Race at 4:00, followed by the Toddler Waddler and the 400-Meter Race around the track. All race participants will receive a finisher medal when they cross the finish line. The Family Festival and race are free to everyone, but children 12 and under are required to register for the race in order to participate and receive their free t-shirt. Parents and guardians can complete the registration and waiver online at https://bridgerun.com/ It is not necessary for adults to register themselves.
Join us for a 5K race or walk, with post-race food and festivities, to help improve the lives of our Low Country Veterans. Proceeds will go to helping Low Country Veterans and, after the race, speakers will honor our Veterans and explain how you can help our local Veterans.
Winter
Reindeer Run: 5K
The Reindeer Run, presented by Half-Moon Outfitters, is a family-oriented, pet-friendly 5k run/walk located in downtown Charleston, SC. This year we celebrate our 31st year of the annual race!
The event has grown significantly over the years; from only a few hundred participants to record attendance of over 3,500 runners. The funds generated from the Reindeer Run benefits the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital located in downtown Charleston. This hospital provides more spacious, family-centered amenities and expanded services, including an expanded neonatal intensive care unit, an entire floor dedicated to the care of children with cancer, and the most comprehensive pediatric heart center in South Carolina.
Start off the New Year on a "healthy step" with a 5K! We want to give back to you!!! Enjoy the spectacular river, marsh views and majestic oaks as you run. After the race, stay for soup and cornbread! (Hoppin John soup, Vegetable soup, Vegetable beef soup, Butternut squash soup and other soups to choose from) Awards are 5 year age groups and 5 deep! We will be recycling shirts and awards from various races. Wear your PJ's!!! A Great time for everyone!
Bulldog Breakaway: 5K - New Year
This USATF certified 5K begins on the track at The Citadel, where participants will run a lap around campus, go through Summerall gate of The Citadel, run 1 lap around Hampton Park, come back through Summerall gate of The Citadel and then run another lap on campus, finishing on the track.
Boston Marathon Qualifier. Race benefits local non-profit Engaging Creative Minds. Course finishes at FireFly Distillery.
Building Healthy Communities: 5K
The 5K run/walk will raise funds to benefit the Heart Health Program of MUSC’s Children’s Health. Come run or walk a USATF-certified 5K course to help us in our work of supporting healthy lifestyle habits for kids and their families. We also have a lot of exciting raffle prizes to offer, so bring cash or card to purchase raffle tickets and participate in the drawing after the race (no checks will be accepted).
Cupid's Chase: 5K - Charleston
Every February, this national race series celebrates Community Options’ founding in 1989. Volunteers raise funds and awareness to support housing and employment for people with disabilities. We welcome all runners, joggers, walkers, and sponsors to join us at James Island County.
Head for the Cure: 5K - Charleston
Funds raised through this event will locally benefit MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, and other national brain cancer programs, education, and initiatives.
Hippie Dash: 5K
The Hippie Dash is a 5k fun run/walk that raises awareness and funding for people with disabilities and helps support Palmetto Goodwill's work to change lives through education, training and employment. Far out dudes, hip chicks, flower children and funky fidos are invited to don their best 70s attire as they move and groove their way through a psychedelic 3.1 mile course around James Island County Park.
Walkers, joggers, and runners of all ages, come explore your wild side on the scenic nature trails at Caw Caw Interpretive Center. An award ceremony with food and beverages will be held immediately afterward. Family friendly yoga and other activities will go on throughout the morning. Open to all abilities and fitness levels.
The Palmetto Swamp Fox Adventure Race will be held in the Francis Marion National Forest north of Charleston, South Carolina. Racers will travel across land, swamp and water seldom visited by man since the elusive Swamp Fox, Francis Marion.