Sat, Aug 8, 2026

Wildwood Crest 5K Beach Run

Wildwood Crest, NJ

Registration openAnnual since at least 2014

5K1 Mile

Entry is $25 now and rises to $30 after Jul 31, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Wildwood Crest 5K Beach Run

The course runs on packed beach sand along the shore at Wildwood Crest, starting where Heather Road meets the water. Sand is firm enough underfoot for a genuine racing effort, and the flat profile keeps the pace honest from the start. Age group awards go several deep for both men and women, with no duplicate placements.

Packet pickup happens the evening before at the Crest Pier Recreation Center, with a second window on race morning before the start. Both options are worth knowing about if you are coming from out of town and want to skip the morning rush.

Free race emails

Get the Weekly RunSesh

In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Wildwood Crest 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

291finishers

16:53winner

29:30median

54:29cutoff

Top 3: ANTHONY GARGANI (16:53) · ELDON REYNOSO (17:13) · BOB LANDGRAF (18:50)

The Wildwood Crest 5K Beach Run has been held every year since at least 2014. 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

5K8/8/2026 08:30$30

1 Mile8/8/2026 08:30$25

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 Wildwood Crest — 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 Wildwood Crest 5K Beach Run

Will I finish last at the Wildwood Crest 5K Beach Run?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 29:30, and the last recorded finisher came in around 54:29, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Wildwood Crest 5K Beach Run a good first 5K?

A field of 291 is big enough that you will have company at your pace without feeling lost in a crowd. 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 Wildwood Crest 5K Beach Run?

The 5K winner ran 16:53 while the median finisher took 29:30. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.