Sun, Oct 11, 2026

BookSmiles 5K & 1 Mile Walk for Literacy

Cherry Hill, NJ

Registration openAnnual since at least 2023

5K1 Mile

About the BookSmiles 5K & 1 Mile Walk for Literacy

The course runs along Cooper River Park on road, finishing at the park's track. It is genuinely flat throughout, and the chip timing means your result comes back fast. The race benefits literacy, and the field tends to include both runners pushing for time and walkers out for the cause. Cash prizes go to the top finishers in each gender.

Packet pickup the morning of the race starts well before the gun, giving you time to settle in. There is also an optional pickup the evening before. The start and check-in are at the same spot on Park Boulevard, so you are not hunting for two different locations on race morning.

Free race emails

Get the Weekly RunSesh

In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Cherry Hill on your radar: a Monday look ahead and a Thursday rundown of the weekend's races.

Two helpful emails per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 results, this is a small, friendly field, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.

5K · 2025 results

127finishers

15:38winner

29:28median

1:10:57cutoff

Top 3: MICHAEL ZURZOLO (15:38) · RASHAAD JORDEN (17:17) · ROBERT ABRAMS (17:29)

The BookSmiles 5K & 1 Mile Walk for Literacy has been held every year since at least 2023. 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

5K10/11/2026 09:00$35

1 Mile10/11/2026 09:00$35

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.

Plan Your Trip

Where to Stay

Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around Cherry Hill — pan or zoom to compare what's nearby.

The map is provided by Stay22. If you book through it, RunSesh may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — it never affects the races we list.

Common Questions About the BookSmiles 5K & 1 Mile Walk for Literacy

Will I finish last at the BookSmiles 5K & 1 Mile Walk for Literacy?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 29:28, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:10:57, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the BookSmiles 5K & 1 Mile Walk for Literacy a good first 5K?

It is a small race (127 finishers), which is friendlier and less intimidating than a big-city event, though the field thins out. 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 BookSmiles 5K & 1 Mile Walk for Literacy?

The 5K winner ran 15:38 while the median finisher took 29:28. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.