About the Run Wild 5K at the North Carolina Zoo
The course runs entirely on the zoo's paved visitor pathways, winding through the Africa and North America sections before finishing at a picnic area near the start. The terrain rolls with the foothills landscape, so expect some grades. Spectators can watch at both ends without entering the zoo, and you may hear wolves or lions mid-race. Refreshments and a small celebration wait at the finish.
Packet pickup runs at a Fleet Feet location in High Point on the evening before the event, with an additional option at the zoo the evening prior and again on race morning. Parking is in the North America lot near the admissions gate. Arriving well before the start matters; the entrances close once the race is underway and late arrivals are turned away.
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Run Wild 5K at the North Carolina Zoo 2026 Results
Going by the 2026 results, this is a decent-sized field, and the spread of finish times is wide, so this is a mostly recreational race rather than one for club runners.
5K Results · 2026
595finishers
20:54winner
41:38median
1:12:13cutoff
Top 3: Jesus Ibarra (20:54) · Travis McLain (21:02) · Kyle Joy (21:14)
The Run Wild 5K at the North Carolina Zoo has been held every year since at least 2021. That is as far back as RunSignup's records for this race go, so it may well be older.
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 Nov 12, 2026.
Distances & Start Times
3.1 Miles6/12/2027 07:30$45
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