Event Description

The Great Bay 5K, out of consideration for the health and well-being of our racers and volunteers has been reimagined for 2020! This year, you can run or walk your race on any 5K course you choose, even if it is a treadmill or loops around your back yard. Once you register, you can do your race any time between October 1 and October 24. Whatever course you choose, make sure you are safe, and that you abide by current CDC, state and local guidelines for dealing with the coronavirus.  The Great Bay 5K is still the final race in the successful Seacoast Road Race Series. If you are registered for the Seacoast Series, and if you submit your finishing time, it will count toward your participation in the Seacoast Series.

NEW THIS YEAR: We've added a Great Bay 55K Challenge - a virtual tour around Great Bay. This race is different from the 5K - you can complete it in segments, logging your miles in as many days as you want between October 1 and October 24. You'll be able to see on the Leader Board how your total miles compare to others doing this virtual race. And you'll get notices when you reach special Milestones around Great Bay that introduce you to some special features and viewpoints of Great Bay. As with the Great Bay 5K, you can run or walk your Great Bay 55K Challenge anywhere you want: On some or all of the mapped course; around your neighborhood or a local lake; on a trail or a treadmill. Wherever you run or walk, make sure you obey local traffic laws, as well as current coronovirus guidelines, and be mindful of any and all vehicle traffic around you. Look for emails prior to race day about how to log your results for both races.

There are multiple options for the Great Bay 5K and the Great Bay 55K Challenge: One for each race with a bib with tear strips that you can take to select establishments for free beer/cider and free oysters. The other options will include a long-sleeve race shirt with the bib for the Great Bay 5K, or a custom hat with the bib for the Great Bay 55K Challenge. You also can register to participate in both events, the 5K and the 55K Challenge.

All proceeds from the Great Bay 5K and 55K go to the non-profit Great Bay Stewards, which supports conservation, education, responsible recreation and research of the Great Bay & Piscataqua River Watershed and Estuary.