Sun, Sep 20, 2026

Liam Strong Charity Beach Run

Wrightsville Beach, NC

Registration openAnnual since at least 2020

5K1 Mile

Entry is $25 now and rises to $30 after Sep 2, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Liam Strong Charity Beach Run

The course runs along Wrightsville Beach, starting and finishing at Johnnie Mercer's Pier. There is a short option and a longer road route, both close to the water. The race was created to honor a child lost to cancer, and before the start there are brief remarks from the family and representatives from the children's hospital the race supports.

Packet pickup the evening before is at a local oyster bar on the causeway, and race-morning pickup is available as a backup. The start area is at the pier, with metered street parking nearby that accepts credit cards.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 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.

1 Miles · 2025 results

177finishers

6:35winner

14:32median

25:20cutoff

Top 3: D. Hoke (6:35) · Jones Stainback (6:42) · F. Kimball (6:43)

5K · 2025 results

64finishers

22:20winner

36:05median

59:56cutoff

Top 3: Anonymous Anonymous (22:20) · Bruce Vertrees (22:49) · Jordan Wendt (23:17)

The Liam Strong Charity Beach Run has been held every year since at least 2020. 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 1 Miles 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

5K9/20/2026 09:05$40

1 Mile9/20/2026 09:15$25

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 Liam Strong Charity Beach Run

Will I finish last at the Liam Strong Charity Beach Run?

Almost certainly not. Half the 1 Miles field finished slower than 14:32, and the last recorded finisher came in around 25:20, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Liam Strong Charity Beach Run a good first 1 Miles?

It is a small race (177 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 1 Miles, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Liam Strong Charity Beach Run?

The 1 Miles winner ran 6:35 while the median finisher took 14:32. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.