
Sunshine Festival July 4th 5k & 1 mile
Saint Simons Island, GA • July 4, 2026
42nd Annual July 4th Sunshine Festival 5k Race and 1-mile on St Simons Island! Finisher medals for all 5k and 1-mile finishers!WebsiteThere are many local social media and web "local event" calendars for the Golden Isles, they are not always up to date for our event in spite of our efforts. This is our OFFICAL Race Website! Hotel DiscountSea Palms ResortAttention Runners! Getting a good night's rest is essential for crushing your 5k race, come stay with us at Sea Palms for a quiet and peaceful rest with a view! Use this link for 10% off! Sea Palms Resort (travelclick.com) IMPORTANT NOTESStarting Line is self-seeded by average expected pace per mileStrollers ARE ALLOWED, be careful and respectful of the Adaptive Athletes. Dogs ARE NOT ALLOWED; this is due to insurance liability and safety issues. PRE-RACE DAY Walk-up registration on July 3rd is available. NO RACE DAY registrations on July 4thRACE DAY Packet up is available on July 4thPACKETS unclaimed by 8 am on Race Day are forfeited. AWARDS cannot be picked up early. This is a chip timed event that starts when you cross the starting line; early result print outs are subject to change. No shirt exchanges, until after the race has endedPre-Race Day Packet Pickup & Walk Up RegistrationThursday, July 3rd, 4-7 pm at (Location to be determined)Your friends or family can pick up your packet but may have to get in multiple lines. After picking up your bib, you will proceed to a different line to pick up your shirt. Race Day NO RACE DAY registrationsRACE DAY packet pick up is availableThursday, July 4th, 6 am Kings Park basketball courts (Park & Mallery streets)Race Day 5k packet pickup: 6 am until 6:45 am5k Race starts: 7 am1 Mile packet pickup: 6 am until 7:45 am1 Mile Run starts 8 amUnclaimed packets/shirts will be forfeited at 8:15 amAwards Ceremony: 8:30 am Starting Line: Start/Finish Location: St Simons Park / Kings Park, 515 Park Ave, St Simons Island, GA 31522 (Across from Mallery Park and by the basketball court) Only the Overall Fastest Male and Female winners are scored by gun time, everyone else is by chip time including Masters and Age Group. Otherwise, your time doesn't start until you cross the starting line The starting line will be sorted by expected pace with 10 different pace group sections. PLEASE seed yourself in the right location. Fastest up front and slower in the back. The line will stretch all the way back to Oak Street. The Push Rim division of 5 racing strollers for Adaptive athletes will be in front and start 2 minutes ahead of everyone else. Starting Line Sections by Pace per Mile Section 1: 5–6-minute paceSection 2: 6-7-minute paceSection 3: 7-8-minute paceSection 4: 8-9-minute paceSection 5: 9-10-minute paceSection 6: 10-11-minute paceSection 7:11-12-minute paceSection 8:12-13-minute paceSection 9:14-15-minute paceSection 10: Walking Bathrooms:2 multi-stall bathrooms across the street in Mallery Park by the ball field, 8 bathrooms in the Village Pier Casino building on Beachview Drive (0.25 miles)8 Porta-potties by the starting Line. Photos:Sports in Motion Photography will be photographing our event this year. We are providing the digital images for FREE! Please look for an email after the event with a direct link to your images or you can go to www.simphotos.com to view photos too. Food and Snacks On-Site Race Day Sandy Bottom Bagels - bagelsParkers - water handing out water bottlesGeorgia Watermelon Association - handing out watermelonPepsi & Coca Cola - donated water bottlesFuse Frozen Yogurt - handing out frozen yogurt while it lastsWinn-Dixie & GITC - oranges, bananas, cookiesFriendly Express - handing out water bottlesStarbucks - serving cold brewGolden Isles Center for Plastic Surgery, PC / Centered on Wellness Cooling Scarves while they last. 5K ROUTE USTAF Certified 5k route 5K Route video previewSunshine Festival July 4th 5k Map - MapMyRun 1 MILE ROUTE Start and Finish will be at 5K starting Line. Course will follow 5K course on Park Ave. turning right onto Magnolia Ave where you make a turnaround between Park and Bartow Street, stay to the right, cross Mallery Street, turn left on Oak St. and finish at the Start Line on Park Street. The 1-mile fun run will be chip timed. Sunshine Festival 1 Mile MAP AWARDSAwards cannot be picked up early. This is a chip timed event that starts when you cross the starting line; early result print outs are subject to change. The Award Ceremony will take place at approximately 8:30 am All 5k and 1-mile Mile participants who complete the course and are wearing a bib will receive a Finisher medal Chip timing provided by Second Wind Timing 5k Awards: Overall, Masters (40-49), Grand Masters (50-59), Senior Masters (60+), and top 3 male and female finishers in each age group. Age groups - 9 & under, 10-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80 & over. Overall & Master Awards include a medal, a bag of Vidalia Onions from Herndon Farms, and a free pair of shoes from Game Changers Running StoreNote: Overall Male and Female start time is at gun time, Masters and Age Group awards are from chip time. 1 Mile Awards: 12 and under, 1st, 2nd, 3rd male and female 13 and over, 1st, 2nd, 3rd male and female Award for the Best Costume. (1st Place only, must be present at the Awards ceremony for judging)Award for the Best Team (Largest). (1st. place)Award for the Fastest Team. (1st, 2nd & 3rd place) To compete in the Fastest Team awards, your team must have at least 2 men and 1 female. We take the top 2 fastest men and the fastest female (1) for a total of 3. You don't have to do anything to compete, it is automatic as long you meet these requirements. Award for the best-decorated homes along the route. 3 awards: Patriotic, Creative, and Old Glory Parking Parking is a challenge, please carpool, be dropped off, ride a bike, or walk! Otherwise, you can park along Mallery Street, around the ballpark, in the village, by the library or lighthouse. Stay away from private residences. Golden Isles Track Club uses the race proceeds to encourage and promote Good Health in the Golden Isles July 4th ActivitiesSunshine Festival Craft Show (Postell Park) 530 Beachview Drive, St. Simons, GA Be sure to visit our 3-day festival with 60 artists and makers featuring exquisite handmade items, original art, and specialty foods. We'll have fresh lemonade and our local Kona Ice out. Friday July 4th 10-5Saturday July 5th 10-5Sunday July 6th 10-4 More at: www.facebook.com/CraftsintheVillage Golf Cart Parade – July 4, 11:00am Deck out your golf cart in red, white and blue and join the golf cart parade! Carts line up adjacent to Mallery Park, then make their way through the St. Simons Island Village. Live Music – July 4 Throughout the day, live bands entertain on the bandstand in the village area. Fireworks – July 4, 9:00pm The annual fireworks display is launched from the pier, so the best viewing areas are Neptune Park and nearby waterfront locations. Bring a chair, sit back and enjoy the show! Parking is tight, so arrive early, walk or bike.





