Charlotte New Year's Day 5K

Charlotte New Year's Day 5K is held in Charlotte, North Carolina, in Mecklenburg County, on January 1, 2027. The 5K (3.1 miles) starts at 10:00 a.m. on the UNC Charlotte campus and follows the Toby Creek Greenway before returning for a post-race celebration with refreshments, and a Kids Dash follows at 11:00 a.m. Every entrant receives a custom shirt and a medal, and a kids zone keeps younger children busy during the event.

A greenway course means smooth, mostly traffic-free running, which is exactly what you want if you are chasing a 5K time or racing for the first time. Ten in the morning is a civilized start for January 1, leaving room for breakfast and a proper warm-up of 10 minutes of jogging and a few strides. With the Kids Dash an hour later and a family area on site, this is also a race you can bring the whole household to without anyone waiting around in the cold for long.