About the Miles for Smiles 5K
This is a charity race put on by a high school honor society, with proceeds split between student scholarships and a local dog rescue. The race starts and finishes in McHenry, and age-group awards reach deep into the older brackets, so the field tends to spread across generations.
Packet pickup runs the evening before the race and again early on race morning, both at the same address on Green Street. Registration is online only, so you need to complete that before showing up. Price goes up on race day, so earlier is better.
Free race emails
Get the Weekly RunSesh
Get races near McHenry in your inbox. Every Monday we send the races coming up, and every Thursday we send the ones happening that weekend.
Two helpful emails per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Distances & Start Times
3.1 Miles5/1/2027 08:00$35
3.1 Miles5/1/2027 08:00$15
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.
Not sure what to aim for? The 5K pace chart lists the pace for every finish time.
Where to Stay
Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around McHenry — 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.
