Sat, Sep 12, 2026

Run for the Word 5K

Landis, NC

Registration openAnnual since at least 2022

5K0.5 Miles

Entry is $30 now and rises to $35 after Sep 11, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Run for the Word 5K

The course starts on Zion Street, heads out through the surrounding neighborhood streets, and then picks up a highway business route for a long straightaway to a turnaround in a cabinet shop parking lot. It retraces back through Landis and finishes beside Trinity Lutheran Church, the host facility. The road surface is flat throughout, with no real elevation to speak of.

Registration and check-in happen at Trinity Lutheran Church on race morning, before the start. Awards are handed out immediately after the race wraps up. There is ice cream at the finish line.

Free race emails

Get the Weekly RunSesh

In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Landis on your radar: a Monday look ahead and a Thursday rundown of the weekend's races.

Two helpful emails per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

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

119finishers

17:09winner

35:22median

56:05cutoff

Top 3: James Anderson (17:09) · Wayne Price (21:14) · Mike Emerson (21:46)

0.5 Miles · 2025 results

12finishers

2:34winner

4:02median

4:37cutoff

Top 3: C. Kiker (2:34) · A. Walker (2:41) · H. Kiker (2:45)

The Run for the Word 5K has been held every year since at least 2022. 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

5K9/12/2026 09:00$30

0.5 Miles9/12/2026 10:00$15

5K9/12/2026 09:00$30

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.

Plan Your Trip

Where to Stay

Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around Landis — 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.

Common Questions About the Run for the Word 5K

Will I finish last at the Run for the Word 5K?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 35:22, and the last recorded finisher came in around 56:05, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Run for the Word 5K a good first 5K?

It is a small race (119 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 Run for the Word 5K?

The 5K winner ran 17:09 while the median finisher took 35:22. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.