Wilmington Historic Half, 10K & 5K

Wilmington Historic Half, 10K & 5K is held in Wilmington, North Carolina, on December 5, 2026. The 5K and the Wilmington Historic Challenge, 16.2 miles made up of the 5K and the half marathon back to back, start at 7 a.m., the 10K at 7:30 and the half marathon (13.1 miles) at 7:45. The courses run through the historic downtown, taking in the city's bridges and riverwalk, and finish at Riverfront Park with music, food and drinks. Every runner gets a medal, and the top finishers take awards.

The Challenge is the interesting entry here: you race a 5K, then start a half marathon on tired legs 45 minutes later. Treat it as a long run with a hard opening rather than as two separate races, and rehearse it once in training before race day. For the standalone half, ten to twelve weeks with a weekly long run is enough, and an early start leaves the rest of the day for the finish-line party.