About the Special Olympics Gaston County Superhero 5K
The course runs around Rankin Lake, so the surroundings are water and open park the whole way. The terrain is gentle and the route follows the lake's edge, which gives it a natural, unhurried feel. Many runners show up in costume, superhero capes included, and that sets the tone for the morning.
Packet pickup the evening before is at a local church on Franklin Boulevard. The start area is at the lake, so there is no hunting for a venue on race morning. A rain-or-shine policy means the event runs regardless of weather.
Free race emails
Get the Weekly RunSesh
In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Gastonia 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, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.
5K · 2025 results
86finishers
18:00winner
33:33median
1:01:38cutoff
Top 3: Froilan Frutos (18:00) · Chris Van Dyke (18:09) · Wesley Gurley (19:37)
The Special Olympics Gaston County Superhero 5K has been held every year since at least 2025. 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 Jul 27, 2026.
Distances & Start Times
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.
Where to Stay
Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around Gastonia — 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.
