Sat, Nov 21, 2026

Lights 4 Paws

Coward, SC

Registration openAnnual since at least 2025

Entry is $30 now and rises to $35 after Oct 12, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Lights 4 Paws

The course runs through Lynches River County Park after dark, lit up with displays along the way. Runners and walkers are encouraged to dress in holiday costumes, and there is a contest for the best Christmas outfit and the tackiest sweater. Dogs on leashes are welcome on the course alongside their owners.

Packet pickup happens at the park on race day in the hour before the start. The post-race spread includes homemade cheesecakes for top finishers, and prizes go to the best-dressed costumes. Strollers are welcome, and the race benefits the Florence Area Humane Society.

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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.

5K · 2025 results

140finishers

18:21winner

42:06median

1:09:33cutoff

Top 3: Leon Dewitt (18:21) · Thomas Schnibben (18:36) · John Eddy (18:38)

The Lights 4 Paws has been held every year since at least 2025. 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 Sep 10, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

5K11/21/2026 17:30$30

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Common Questions About the Lights 4 Paws

Will I finish last at the Lights 4 Paws?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 42:06, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:09:33, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Lights 4 Paws a good first 5K?

It is a small race (140 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 Lights 4 Paws?

The 5K winner ran 18:21 while the median finisher took 42:06. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.