Sat, Oct 17, 2026

WMPCS 5K @ Smoke on the Water

Washington, NC

Registration openAnnual since at least 2017

Entry is $25 now and rises to $30 after Oct 3, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the WMPCS 5K @ Smoke on the Water

The course runs along the Washington waterfront, which gives it an open, scenic feel with water on one side and downtown nearby. The route is a benefit race for a local Montessori charter school, so the crowd tends to skew toward families, and dogs and strollers are genuinely welcome on the course.

The race starts and finishes at Festival Park in downtown Washington, near a gazebo that makes it easy to find. Packet pickup happens at a check-in table on race morning, so there is no need to make a separate trip. Free street parking is available close to the start on the main roads nearby.

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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

45finishers

18:18winner

30:14median

56:58cutoff

Top 3: William D Arce (18:18) · Blake Wainwright (19:34) · Squires Tunstall (20:54)

The WMPCS 5K @ Smoke on the Water has been held every year since at least 2017. 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 Sep 22, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

5K10/17/2026 09:00$25

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Where to Stay

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Common Questions About the WMPCS 5K @ Smoke on the Water

Will I finish last at the WMPCS 5K @ Smoke on the Water?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 30:14, and the last recorded finisher came in around 56:58, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the WMPCS 5K @ Smoke on the Water a good first 5K?

It is a small race (45 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 WMPCS 5K @ Smoke on the Water?

The 5K winner ran 18:18 while the median finisher took 30:14. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.