BARK & BOLT RACES

Presented by Hunter Subaru

Unleash the Fun at this Dog-Friendly Race Event

JUNE 14, 2025

The Bark and Bolt race in Hendersonville, North Carolina, is a heartwarming event that brings together both paws and people. This unique race allows dogs and their owners to celebrate physical fitness and outdoor activity together. Don't have a dog? You're still welcome to participate! With its lively atmosphere and the joyful barks of four-legged participants, the Bark and Bolt race is an exciting race for everyone.

why you'll love this race:

An amazing summer morning event with so many cute dogs!
A free, custom race shirt when you register before the deadline ($20 after)
A free, commemorative collapsible dog bowl for all finishers
A free, commemorative bandana for each pet that participates
3 different race formats offering a variety of distances
The “Bark in the Park Dog Fair” with pet-friendly vendors, businesses and local organizations.
Awards for the top finishers in each race
A well-marked course with professional chip-timed results (5K only)

What our runners are saying...

"It was amazing. My dog was recognized and showcased, which made me so happy. We really enjoyed the event, the people, and the course!"

"I really enjoyed the run and having my dog recognized! We loved it."

"I so love to see children, dogs and elderly people all participate!"

"Dog friendly, family friendly, and beginner friendly!"

"Fun, smooth course. It was pretty!"

"An amazing idea to help different pet-friendly institutions."

The Course

All races will begin and end in Hendersonville’s Patton Park. The 5K course is a scenic, out and back route that follows the Oklawaha Greenway. There are some moderate hills but the majority of the course is flat. The 1-mile race also follows the Greenway and has one hill just before the finish. It too is on paved surfaces and both courses will have a single water station along the route. The Paw Pursuit 100 Meter Dash is our shortest race for the most well-behaved pups. It’s a quick sprint where dogs run alongside their owners to demonstrate their speed and agility. Dogs will be divided into three weight classes: Lightweight, Middleweight, and Heavyweight.

5K | 3.1 Miles

Start Time
8:45am

VIEW GPS ROUTE

1 Mile

Start Time
8:00am

VIEW GPS ROUTE

Paw Pursuit | 100M

Start Time
8:30am

Bark in the Park Dog Fair

We’re ecstatic to be hosting the Bark in the Park Dog Fair alongside the Bark & Bolt event, and you are woofingly welcome to join us! The fair will be located in the field at Patton Park, near the Start/Finish Line and will run from 5:00pm to 8:00pm.

With so many pup-sitively pet-friendly vendors, this is sure to be a tail-wagging event for all. If your business or organization is interested in becoming a pawtner of this event, please contact us at support@idaph.net.

We look forward to welcoming you and your furry friends with open arms!

OUR PRESENTING PARTNER

This event would not be possible without the generous support of Hunter Subaru. Since 1940, the Hunter Automotive Group has been a locally owned and operated business in Western North Carolina. It is their mission to improve the quality of life for their employees, customers, and the surrounding community. We are grateful for their participation and admire the uplifting attitude they bring to our event.

Our Community Partner

All signature iDaph events partner with local organizations to help advance their mission. Supporting these causes strengthens our community bonds by addressing the unique challenges and needs within our area. It ensures that resources are allocated where they can have the most direct and tangible impact, fostering a sense of ownership and empowerment among residents.

Blue Ridge Humane Society is dedicated to ensuring the highest quality of life for animals in Henderson County and our neighboring communities through adoption, outreach, and education. Prior to adoption, each animal is provided with all the appropriate vaccinations, a microchip, dewormed, and is spayed or neutered. In addition, each pet goes home with a 30-day free health insurance plan. They are committed to finding lifelong homes for every pet. Screening and counseling of potential families contribute to our successful adoptions.

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

Spend the Weekend

An Authentic Mountain Destination

If you're not from here, you're going to love visiting here. Experience the thrill of running or cycling amidst the breathtaking beauty of Western North Carolina, where the rugged mountains and pristine landscapes set the stage for an unforgettable adventure. We invite you to make our event your ultimate destination race. Our Visitor’s Guide features lodging options, airport info, and the inside scoop on what to see and do while you’re here.

View our Visitor's Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

All event details can be found on our registration page. Simply click "register" on this page and you will be taken to Race Roster, our registration partner.

Once you register, we will remind you about important details prior to the race. We send an email and text message the week before the event. It will contain a link to our interactive event guide that has everything you need to know in one place.

If you have a question and can't find the answer, we are here to help! Send us a message or email us at support@idaph.net.

Stroller friendly? No problem! This event is stroller friendly, but we do ask that if you’re not in it to win it, please start towards the back of the pack for the safety of all the participants. However, if you’re a competitive parent-child duo, and plan to be out front the entire race to win overall, feel free to start up front and show us what you’ve got!

Dogs allowed? Furry friends are family too, and are welcome to participate in this event!

Did you register to participate in person but can’t make it on race day? You don’t have to miss out! You can transfer your registration to the virtual event at any point before the start of the race. In the virtual event, you’ll run anywhere you like, post your results, and have your swag mailed to you after the event.

TRANSFERS: All participants can transfer into the virtual version of their event up until the start of the event. Send a message to support@idaph.net to request the transfer. There will be no refunds for the price difference between events. Transfers that occur within seven days of the event will cost $10.

Transfers between participants are prohibited. Participants who run with another runner's bib will be automatically disqualified and bandits will be banned from future iDaph events.

REFUNDS: We have a small, but mighty team that is working on all the details to produce this event safely for you and everyone in our community in attendance. We are incurring the expenses for production well before the day of the event, and we will not be able to provide a refund to you should you want to cancel your registration, or if the event itself has to be canceled due to a change in the status of the pandemic, weather, an act of god, or other unforeseen circumstance.

CANCELLATION: In the event of an unforeseen circumstance, such as an emergency, an act of god, not receiving approval of final event permits or a change in public health guidelines that results in the inability to have an in-person event, we reserve the right to cancel the event and automatically convert all in-person registrations to the virtual option. Should this occur, your swag will be mailed to you free of charge.

DEFERRALS: We do not allow deferrals from race to race. If you're unable to make it on race day, you may switch to the virtual option.