Sat, Aug 8, 2026

50th Annual Great Waldensian Footrace

Valdese, NC

Registration open50th annual

5K10K1 Mile

Entry is $25 now and rises to $30 after Jul 30, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the 50th Annual Great Waldensian Footrace

The Great Waldensian Footrace runs through Valdese as part of a historic local festival, so the town is already alive when you arrive. Several distance options mean you can choose your effort for the morning, but the race itself is woven into a broader celebration rather than standing apart from it.

Packet pickup and race-day registration both happen at the Valdese Community Center the morning of the race, so there is no separate trip the day before. After you finish, the Community Center pool is open to runners and their guests, and the festival outside has food, music, crafts, and rides.

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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

116finishers

16:52winner

30:12median

58:51cutoff

Top 3: Bryce Corpening (16:52) · Frank Harrelson (19:05) · Cadence Willis (19:52)

10K · 2025 results

28finishers

37:46winner

55:40median

1:24:04cutoff

Top 3: Taylor Adams (37:46) · Wesley Gurley (40:11) · Andrew Boggs (40:29)

The 50th Annual Great Waldensian Footrace is in its 50th 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

5K8/8/2026 08:00$25

10K8/8/2026 08:00$25

1 Mile8/8/2026 09:30Free

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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Common Questions About the 50th Annual Great Waldensian Footrace

Will I finish last at the 50th Annual Great Waldensian Footrace?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 30:12, and the last recorded finisher came in around 58:51, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the 50th Annual Great Waldensian Footrace a good first 5K?

It is a small race (116 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 50th Annual Great Waldensian Footrace?

The 5K winner ran 16:52 while the median finisher took 30:12. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.