Freedom 5K

Arriving

Designated parking is near the start/finish area in Mulberry Park (Shallotte, NC). As we gain approvals from local businesses to park, we will include a diagram in your pre-race emails leading up to the race. We recommend arriving between 5:30 am & 6:00 am to get parked and pickup your bib.

Location: Mulberry Park – 123 Mulberry St, South Brunswick, NC 28470 CLICK HERE for directions.

Start Time

The 5K starts at 7:00am sharp so don’t be late.  You want to make sure to give yourself plenty of time to get parked before the start of either race.  The 1 Mile will start at 7:15am.

During Race:

Safety is our #1 priority.  The 5K is a road race through downtown Shallotte that starts and finishes in Mulberry Park. The 1 Mile is completely IN the park. While we work with local authorities and NCDOT to shut down as many roads as possible, a portion of the course is open to vehicles so it’s important to be aware of your surroundings.

• We discourage headphones – but they are allowed
• No dogs are allowed per USATF sanctioning – unless ADA approved and appropriate forms are filed with USATF
• Follow our directional signs, volunteers and law enforcement – they know the course and where you need to be running.
• Use our water stops to stay hydrated and have fun, we’ll see you at the finish line!

Post Race

Hang around a while.  We’ll have the DJ playing your favorite tunes, local businesses will be setup in the park and awards for top overall, masters and age groups (every 10 years) for the 5K.

Awards:

We host the awards ceremony right in the park.  5K awards typically start around 1 hour after the start of the 5K event.  We create unique large wooden plaques and “ornament style hangers” for our awards as a unique keepsake.

• Overall awards are given for top 3 male and female in the 5K
• Masters awards are given for top 3 male and female (40+) in the 5K
• Age Group awards are given for top 3 male and female (every 10 years) in the 5K

Important Reminders:

• Arrive early – late starts are NOT allowed.
• Bring any pre-race hydration you’d like.
• Wear your bib on the outside of all clothes for accurate timing.
• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Thank a volunteer, they are donating time to ensure a fun and safe run.
• Have Fun!!

The 1 Mile is completely in the park doing loops around the walkway.  The 5K is a road course through the heart of Shallotte. We will have the course marked with police and volunteers along the route to keep you safe.

Packet Pickup 

We will be hosting packet pickup race morning only. We ask that you please come early for this so that we can get everyone their bib before the race. We will be setup and ready for you by 5:30am.

We have several FAQ’s listed here.  If you don’t find your answers here, we have a more in-depth FAQ page here on our website that applies to all races.

Timing/Mats:

 We partner with a professional Timing Company that will provide accurate results.  Shout out to Scott with SVE

Discounts:

• Military, Students & Teachers – Yes!
• Are you a member of a race club or group – contact us for club discounts.
• Use our contact form  – click here

Are Dogs Allowed:

No.  All of our courses are USATF certified and sanctioned and dogs are not allowed for safety reasons.  If you have a 4 legged running companion for medical reasons, you can file a request through the USATF ADA Committee (which takes 4-6 weeks) by clicking here and if they approve, they will provide you documentation that you will then need to provide to us.  Here is a direct link to the form you’ll need to fill out.

Register Offline:

We really prefer for you to register online if at all possible – it’s quick and easy with the link at the top of the page.

Can I walk:

Yes! We allow for a 1 hour 5K which is about a 19 minute mile pace – plenty of time to walk most of the course if you’d like.

Age Restrictions:

We have no age restrictions however we do ask for parent or guardian signatures on all minors under 18 years of age.

Course Support:

Aid:  There is 1 water stop along the 5K course with water and Gatorade.

Support:  We will have a truck monitoring the route with water and acting as a “SAG” wagon if you need assistance. Volunteers from several different local non-profits are assisting on the course for directions, as well as at the finish line and all of the water stops.

Signage:  We are known for our fun and encouraging on-course signage to keep you on course.  We have tape marked on the ground, tons of directional signs, and a biker will lead the race.  We have 8′ flag mile markers for every mile on the 5K.

Potty Breaks:  There are over 10 portajohns/toilets at the start/finish line.

You’re going to LOVE running a Coastal Race Productions event!

Photos:

We do provide race day photos and our amazing photographer tries to get some of everyone!  If you see her please thank her for all of the awesome FREE photos to enjoy!  These will all be uploaded to our Facebook page please feel free to tag yourself and share with your friends and family.

Registration Policy:

You may manage this 100% on your own through your RunSignUp account.  There is a $6 processing fee online for any refunds to be issued and we provide the following options based on how far in advance you make the request from the original race date.  If the race is cancelled or postponed for any reason due to weather, pandemic, war or another reason out of our hands; refunds are processed from the original race date following the same timeline as follows:

 More than 60 days from event:  75% Refund
 30-59 days from event:  50% Refund
 Less that 30 days from event:  No Refund

Event Transfer:

If you want to change from one distance to another distance at the same race on the same weekend, we allow you to do this yourself prior to any Coastal Race Productions event.  This cutoff to switch is typically the final week leading up to a race and based upon availability in that event.  You will manage this through your RunSignUp account and there is a $15 processing fee.  Need Help?  Click Here for a tutorial on how to edit this. 

Bib Exchange/Transfer:

You can transfer your bib to another runner prior to a race. You must login to your RunSignUp account and initiate this bib exchange by placing their name and email in.  The recipient will receive an email to accept the bib, pay a $15 processing fee and sign our online waiver.  Whether you gift it to them or they pay you for it on this side is up to you.  Need Help?  Click Here and look for “Transfer to Another Runner” for a tutorial on how to edit this.

General FAQ’S:

Visit our General FAQ’s page for answer’s to all of your questions regarding Coastal Race Events.

*Please note:  Anyone on the course without a race bib will be asked to leave the course.  Anyone running with a dog unless you have the required USATF paper work will be asked to leave the course.  Companion riders on bicycles are not allowed and will be asked to leave the course.  These are all due to insurance regulations and are grounds for disqualification – It is for the safety of ALL participants.

Volunteers are loved by all!  We would be thrilled to have you join our race day team.  Waterstops, cheer stations, handing out our HUGE medals, amoung many other things.  We rely on some key non-profits that we partner with locally but we could always use some extra support.  If you’re interested in volunteering with us, please use our volunteer page here to contact us.

Do you have a local non-profit wanting to fundraise through our events?  Contact us to find out how we pay our volunteers and offer other ways to fundraise at Coastal Race events!

We support several local non-profits.  100% of any donations made directly support these local groups that help volunteer at the race.  You can make donations online here

Results will be posted here during and following the event. We will have on-site results to view as well as send you emails with your results. To view last year’s results, please click here.

Not sure if you’re registered?  You can check right here