Sat, Oct 24, 2026

Warlick Family YMCA Trick or Trail 5 K and 1 Mile Fun Run

Gastonia, NC

Registration openAnnual since at least 2021

5K1 Mile

About the Warlick Family YMCA Trick or Trail 5 K and 1 Mile Fun Run

The course runs on a named trail system at the local YMCA, and it is genuine singletrack, not a road race with a gravel detour. Expect the kind of footing that rewards trail shoes. Costumes are encouraged, which shapes the crowd: you will see dogs in capes and kids in full costume gear at the start line.

The party zone runs the whole morning, with bounce houses, games, and music set up near the finish area. The event is open to spectators at no charge, so it draws families who are not racing at all. The YMCA campus is the hub for everything on race day.

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, and the spread of finish times is wide, so this is a mostly recreational race rather than one for club runners.

5K · 2025 results

87finishers

19:49winner

37:55median

1:04:38cutoff

Top 3: Nathan Gallman (19:49) · Cameron Oscar Doster (20:11) · Mark Trompeter (20:34)

The Warlick Family YMCA Trick or Trail 5 K and 1 Mile Fun Run 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.

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

5K10/24/2026 09:00$40

1 Mile10/24/2026 10:00$20

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 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.

Common Questions About the Warlick Family YMCA Trick or Trail 5 K and 1 Mile Fun Run

Will I finish last at the Warlick Family YMCA Trick or Trail 5 K and 1 Mile Fun Run?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 37:55, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:04:38, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Warlick Family YMCA Trick or Trail 5 K and 1 Mile Fun Run a good first 5K?

It is a small race (87 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 Warlick Family YMCA Trick or Trail 5 K and 1 Mile Fun Run?

The 5K winner ran 19:49 while the median finisher took 37:55. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.