Sat, Apr 24, 2027

Azalea Festival 5k

Pickens, SC

Registration openAnnual since at least 2019

Entry is $20 now and rises to $25 after Feb 23, 2027, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Azalea Festival 5k

The race starts and finishes at Doodle Park, and the course is chip-timed on a certified route. It is part of a local series, so you will see some familiar faces from earlier races in the county. Proceeds go to a memorial scholarship that supports a graduating senior from Pickens High School, so there is a real reason behind the entry fee.

Packet pickup runs the evening before at the park shelter, with race-morning pickup available as well. Parking is on the streets nearby, including a spot over on Railroad Street at City Works.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2026 results, this is a small, friendly field, and the spread of finish times is wide, so this is a mostly recreational race rather than one for club runners.

5K · 2026 results

208finishers

15:56winner

32:53median

56:54cutoff

Top 3: Joel Barnett (15:56) · Joseph Barnett (16:44) · Trey Stewart (17:08)

The Azalea Festival 5k has been held every year since at least 2019. That is as far back as RunSignup's records for this race go, so it may well be older.

Where Would You Finish?

Enter a finish time to see where it lands against the most recent 5K results.

Median

See how your time stacks up nationally →

How we calculate these stats: RunSesh calculates these figures from the most recent published results of past editions, sourced from RunSignup. We show aggregates only: field size, winning and median times, and the cutoff. We never publish individual finisher tables. Last updated Jul 27, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

5K4/24/2027 10:00$20

Going for a Time?

Set a goal and get a pace band: every mile split on a card sized for your phone lock screen, so race morning needs no math.

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Where to Stay

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Common Questions About the Azalea Festival 5k

Will I finish last at the Azalea Festival 5k?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 32:53, and the last recorded finisher came in around 56:54, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Azalea Festival 5k a good first 5K?

A field of 208 is big enough that you will have company at your pace without feeling lost in a crowd. There is no qualifying time, and the finish-time spread above shows how varied the field really is. If it is your first 5K, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Azalea Festival 5k?

The 5K winner ran 15:56 while the median finisher took 32:53. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.