Sun, Jul 4, 2027

Outer Banks Freedom 5k/1 Mile & Little Sparkler Fun Run

Kill Devil Hills, NC

Registration openAnnual since at least 2026

5K1 Mile0.25 Miles

About the Outer Banks Freedom 5k/1 Mile & Little Sparkler Fun Run

The race starts and finishes at Kill Devil Hills Town Hall, where a war memorial marks the front of the building. It runs on the holiday morning, before the heat sets in, so the air is still cool and the town has that early-holiday quiet to it. The course is chip timed, and the field includes kids doing the shorter fun run alongside adults going the longer distance.

Packet pickup runs the afternoon before at a gym on the main highway through Kitty Hawk, with race-morning pickup available on site as well. After the race, there is watermelon and pastries at the finish area outside Town Hall.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2026 results, this is a decent-sized field, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.

5K · 2026 results

329finishers

15:55winner

30:12median

1:03:22cutoff

Top 3: Jack Sears (15:55) · Garrett Hartline (16:08) · Zachary Margut (16:41)

1 Miles · 2026 results

25finishers

6:49winner

10:17median

34:44cutoff

Top 3: E. Peters (6:49) · Justin Ey (6:53) · G. Peters (7:26)

The Outer Banks Freedom 5k/1 Mile & Little Sparkler Fun Run has been held every year since at least 2026. 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 Jul 27, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

5K7/4/2027 07:30$50

1 Mile7/4/2027 07:30$50

0.25 Miles7/4/2027 08:10$35

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Common Questions About the Outer Banks Freedom 5k/1 Mile & Little Sparkler Fun Run

Will I finish last at the Outer Banks Freedom 5k/1 Mile & Little Sparkler Fun Run?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 30:12, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:03:22, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Outer Banks Freedom 5k/1 Mile & Little Sparkler Fun Run a good first 5K?

A field of 329 is big enough that you will have company at your pace without feeling lost in a crowd. 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 Outer Banks Freedom 5k/1 Mile & Little Sparkler Fun Run?

The 5K winner ran 15:55 while the median finisher took 30:12. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.