Thu, Nov 26, 2026

15th Annual Drumstick Dash

Charleston, WV

Opens Sep 1, 202615th annual

About the 15th Annual Drumstick Dash

The Drumstick Dash runs on Thanksgiving morning through Charleston, and the holiday spirit carries over into the crowd. People show up in costume, the race motto is about feeding neighbors, and runners are encouraged to bring canned goods. It has the feel of a neighborhood tradition that happens to involve running.

Packet pickup the evening before is at the Little Theater inside the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center, which tends to move faster than race-morning lines. The start is at Haddad Riverfront Park along the Kanawha Boulevard. The Shanklin parking building nearby is free, and street parking is available on most surrounding blocks.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 results, this is a big field, and the spread of finish times is wide, so this is a mostly recreational race rather than one for club runners.

5K · 2025 results

1,091finishers

15:07winner

35:11median

1:06:21cutoff

Top 3: Nicholas Pitchford (15:07) · Daniel Nehnevaj (15:32) · Zack Wilson (16:02)

The 15th Annual Drumstick Dash is in its 15th year.

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

5K11/26/2026 09:00$35

Going for a Time?

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Common Questions About the 15th Annual Drumstick Dash

Will I finish last at the 15th Annual Drumstick Dash?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 35:11, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:06:21, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the 15th Annual Drumstick Dash a good first 5K?

With 1,091 finishers there are runners at every pace, so you are never out on your own. 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 15th Annual Drumstick Dash?

The 5K winner ran 15:07 while the median finisher took 35:11. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.