NODA Halloween Freaky 5k

NODA Halloween Freaky 5k, run as the NoDaWeen Freaky 5K, is organized by the NoDa Neighborhood and Business Association and held in one of Charlotte's historic neighborhoods on October 24, 2026, with a 5 p.m. start. The course is a relatively flat urban 5K. Costumes are encouraged, with prizes for the best of them and for the fastest runners, and an after-party follows at the NoDa Company Store. Runners, walkers, families and pets are all welcome, and proceeds support NoDa NBA community projects.

A flat city 5K is the kind of course where a personal best is realistic, so if you have been running consistently it is worth targeting. Four to six weeks with one interval session and one steady run a week, on top of easy mileage, is a sensible build. The late-afternoon start also means you can eat normally and warm up properly instead of rolling out of bed onto the start line, while walkers and families take the same course at their own pace.