About the Surf to Sound 5K
The course starts at Soundside Park, crosses the Surf City Bridge, and runs out to a point on the far side before looping back across the bridge to finish where it started. You cross that bridge twice, so you get the water views in both directions, with Topsail Sound on one side and the Atlantic opening up on the other. The route is road the whole way.
Packet pickup happens the two evenings before the race at Salty Turtle Beer Co., a local brewery that also hosts the post-race party. Morning pickup is available at the park if you miss it. Parking is in the park and along Roland Avenue, though the street parking shifts to paid after the race is underway, so arriving early helps.
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Surf to Sound 5K 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
369finishers
18:53winner
37:09median
1:11:40cutoff
Top 3: James Kolesar (18:53) · tommy Goodwin (20:04) · Beatrice Kolesar (20:10)
The Surf to Sound 5K 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 Oct 25, 2026.
Distances & Start Times
3.1 Miles10/24/2026 08:00$30
3.1 Miles10/24/2026 00:00$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.
Not sure what to aim for? The 5K pace chart lists the pace for every finish time.
Where to Stay
Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around Surf City — pan or zoom to compare what's nearby.
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