CHASE THE LIGHT. RUN KANUGA.

Towering hardwoods. Cool mountain air. Golden sunlight filtering through the trees. Miles of forested trails just waiting to take you on your next trail run adventure. Come chase the sunset, breathe deep, and experience a 5K that feels less like a race and more like a mountain moment you’ll want to relive again and again.

Here’s what makes this event even better

Participants enjoy a free commemorative shirt when you register by July 12th ($25 after), custom finisher medal, professional chip timing, age group awards and a clearly marked route with GPS-supported navigation. Add in a supportive atmosphere for newcomers, a well-organized and safety-focused team, and the opportunity to complete the Kanuga Weekend Challenge—and you’ve got a mountain race experience done right.

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The Course

Our single-loop 5K—also the same course used for the Kanuga Triathlon run—highlights the best of Kanuga’s trail system. Expect a fun mix of smooth single-track, double-track, forest road, and a few short paved sections, all with gentle elevation changes. It’s scenic, shaded, and super approachable—perfect for road runners testing out the trails and seasoned trail runners who want a course that keeps things interesting.

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TRAIL RUN

5K
(3.1 Miles)

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Spend the Weekend

Turn race weekend into a true mountain retreat at Kanuga Inn & Lodging. Choose from comfortable on-site accommodations or primitive camping beneath the trees—both available at discounted participant rates. Stay close to the action, relax with fellow athletes, and wake up immersed in the peaceful Blue Ridge setting.

MAKE A RESERVATION

Complete the Challenge

Kick things off Saturday evening at the Twilight Trail 5K, then return Sunday morning for the Kanuga Triathlon. The Trail & Tri Challenge brings both events together for one unforgettable weekend—and participants earn finisher medals for each race, plus a RUN WNC performance towel and commemorative sticker to celebrate the accomplishment.

TAKE THE CHALLENGE

This race proudly supports

It is the mission, duty and purpose of iDream Athletes Foundation to provide opportunities for Western North Carolina youth and adults who are unable to pay for sporting event fees, coaching, travel expenses and/or equipment to train for and/or participate in our WNC sporting events. This tax-exempt non-profit provides needs-based scholarships. The amounts to be gifted are determined on a case-by-case basis through a criteria-selection process. In addition, we will assist in fueling the growth for local running, cycling and multi-sport champions, teams, clubs, locally owned stores and communities in Western North Carolina by providing resource and financial support when conducting our key activities.

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.

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.