About the Stars, Stripes, & Strides
The course winds around Bond Park on a mix of dirt, grass, pavement, and natural trails. This is not a flat park path; there are real hills here, moderate to steep in places, and the surface changes underfoot as you go. Trail shoes are worth considering, and conditions shift depending on what the weather has been doing in the days before.
The race benefits a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in the area, which gives the morning a purposeful feel beyond the usual road race. Several distance options run at the same time from a mass start, so the field spreads out quickly across the varied terrain.
Free race emails
Get the Weekly RunSesh
In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Cary 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
127finishers
20:11winner
37:41median
1:01:40cutoff
Top 3: Megan Leonard (20:11) · Robert Harbula (21:06) · H. Holden Sportsballs (23:06)
10K · 2025 results
56finishers
46:02winner
1:06:01median
1:42:24cutoff
Top 3: Gary Franks (46:02) · Maxon Schaeffer (47:57) · Cesar Menendez (48:27)
15K · 2025 results
10finishers
1:00:25winner
1:24:26median
1:46:19cutoff
Top 3: Christopher Mershon (1:00:25) · Sterling Franklin (1:13:54) · Jason Glenn (1:16:45)
The Stars, Stripes, & Strides 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.
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
15K11/14/2026 09:00$55
10K11/14/2026 09:00$45
5K11/14/2026 09:00$35
1 Mile11/14/2026 09:00$20
Kids in Strollers11/14/2026 09:00$5
15K11/14/2026 09:00$35
10K11/14/2026 09:00$35
5K11/14/2026 09:00$35
1 Mile11/14/2026 09:00$35
Exhibitor11/14/2026 09:00$100
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 Cary — 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.
