Great Bay 5K

October 26, 2013 -  9:00am

The 15th Annual Great Bay 5K will take place on Saturday, October 26, 2013. This is a point-to-point race on a fast, downhill course. The race is a fundraiser for the non-profit Great Bay Stewards. The Great Bay Stewards are the "friends group" for the Great Bay Discovery Center and the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The mission of the Great Bay Stewards is to support the Discovery Center and the Reserve, and to help protect and preserve Great Bay through education and land conservation programs.

Race Course: The race will start on Sandy Point Road, across Rt. 33 in Greenland, NH from Stratham Hill Park. The course is mostly on residential streets, is very fast (mostly downhill), and includes some spectacular views of Great Bay. The race finishes near the entrance to the Great Bay Discovery Center on Depot Road. Click HERE for a course map.

Registration: You can register for the Great Bay 5K online, by mail, for in person at packet pick-up. Registration is $25. Registration is limited to 1,200 people.

Click HERE to register online.

Click HERE to download a mail-in registration form.

Race Day Registration: 7:30am-8:45am at Stratham Hill Park.

Packet Pick-Up/Registration: 12:00pm-6:00pm on October 24 & 25 at the Hugh Gregg Center at the Great Bay Discovery Center.

Parking: Parking is available in the Stratham Hill Park field at the end of Jack Rabbit Lane. The roads to the parking field are narrow, so please car pool and arrive early to avoid congestion and delays. Limited parking is available in the streets near the finish line.

Shuttle: The shuttle bus will make one trip to take spectators from the start area to the finish area immediately after the start. The shuttle bus will also take racers from the finish area back to the parking area at Stratham Hill Park. For those who would rather run or walk back to their cars, it is just under a mile by the most direct route.

Race Shirts: This year's race shirt will be a long-sleeve, moisture-wicking shirt. Race shirts will go to the first 800 people to register.

Walkers: The Great Bay 5K has a competitive walking division. If you register for this division, you must walk the entire race. If you think you might run/walk the race, please register as a runner. Registered walkers who run part of the race risk disqualification.

Awards: 1st Place (M/F) $150; 2nd Place (M/F) $100; 3rd Place (M/F) $75; New Course Record (M/F) $100; Awards to first 3 finishers (M/F) in each age group; 14 & under, 15-20, 21-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+; the fastest mixed team (3 fastest times, including 1 female); the top 2 competitive walkers (M/F).

The MacKenzie Mile: $50 to the first runners (M/F) to reach the 1-mile mark (and who finish the race in a reasonable time, based on their 1-mile splits).

Race Timing: The Great Bay 5K will use bib chip timing. The timing devices will be on the back of each race number. "Gun" time will be used for overall awards; "net" time will be used for age group awards.

Strollers & Pets: For your safety, and for that of the other races, if you are pushing a stroller, please start at the back of the pack. Even well-behaved pets on leases can create a hazard on the course, so please leave your pets home on race day.

Fun Run: There will be a free fun run for children ages 2-10, following the 5K (approx. 9:50). The Fun Run will be on the grounds of the Great Bay Discovery Center, and will start just beyond the finish line for the 5K. Race numbers and prizes for all Fun Run finishers.

Costume Contest: There will be costume contests in the 5K and the Fun Run. We'll award $99.38 each to best M/F costumes in the 5K, and spooky prizes for the best M/F costumes in the Fun Run.

Refreshments & Award Ceremony: Plenty of food and drink will be available at the barn in the Great Bay Discovery Center following the race. The award ceremony will be in the barn, starting at about 10:15.

Weather: If weather forces cancellation of the race, we will post that information on this website by 6:00am on race day.

Great Bay 5K on FaceBook: You can follow the Great Bay 5K on our FACEBOOK page, where we'll provide updates and additional information right up until race day!

Seacoast Road Race Series: The Great Bay 5K is the final race in the 2013 Seacoast Road Race Series. The Seacoast Series overall awards for runners and walkers will be presented at the Great Bay 5K award ceremony. Click HERE for more information about the Seacoast Road Race Series.

Please click HERE to send an email to the race director.

Sponsors: Sprague Operating Resources has been the lead sponsor for the Great Bay 5K since the race was started in 1999. We are very grateful for the company's support. Additional sponsors of this year's Great Bay 5K include: