Sun, Oct 25, 2026

16th Annual Rowan Rotary Spooky Sprint 5K Run/Walk

Salisbury, NC

Registration open16th annual

5K0.5 Miles

Entry is $25 now and rises to $30 after Oct 24, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the 16th Annual Rowan Rotary Spooky Sprint 5K Run/Walk

The race runs on the track and grounds of Catawba College, starting and finishing at the stadium. It is a Halloween-themed event, so expect costumes in the crowd and on the course. A panel of Rotarians judges the costume contest for both kids and adults. Timing is handled by a local running club based in Salisbury.

Check-in opens well before the start and takes place at the stadium registration desk. The shorter fun run goes off right after the main race wraps up, so families with younger kids have something to stick around for. Proceeds support youth programs and leadership initiatives run by the local Rotary chapter.

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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

75finishers

16:51winner

34:41median

1:03:59cutoff

Top 3: Matthew O'Donnell (16:51) · Froilan Frutos (18:41) · Nick Golden (19:40)

0.5 Miles · 2025 results

7finishers

3:36winner

3:59median

7:57cutoff

Top 3: M. Maready (3:36) · M. Holston (3:46) · B. Golden (3:54)

The 16th Annual Rowan Rotary Spooky Sprint 5K Run/Walk is in its 16th 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 Sep 10, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

5K10/25/2026 14:00$25

0.5 Miles10/25/2026 15:00$10

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Common Questions About the 16th Annual Rowan Rotary Spooky Sprint 5K Run/Walk

Will I finish last at the 16th Annual Rowan Rotary Spooky Sprint 5K Run/Walk?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 34:41, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:03:59, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the 16th Annual Rowan Rotary Spooky Sprint 5K Run/Walk a good first 5K?

It is a small race (75 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 16th Annual Rowan Rotary Spooky Sprint 5K Run/Walk?

The 5K winner ran 16:51 while the median finisher took 34:41. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.