Ring in the new year at WakeMed Soccer Park with your dog, your friends, and a big mug of hot chocolate.
New year, same tradition: friends, dogs, and all the hot chocolate you can drink. Run the Doggie Dash 5K or 8K with your pup on a leash, or run the regular 5K, 8K, or Fun Mile on your own two feet. Everyone who finishes goes home with a Mutts & Marshmallows mug and a medal.
It's also the first race of the Fit & Able Free-for-All Series, and the Doggie Dash dog fee goes to support the SPCA of Wake County.
7:30 to 8:45 AM: Doggie Dash 5K and 8K check-in
7:30 to 9:30 AM: Race-day registration
8:30 to 9:45 AM: 5K, 8K, and Fun Mile check-in
9:00 AM: Doggie Dash 5K and 8K start
9:45 AM: Fun Mile starts
10:00 AM: 5K and 8K start
10:30 AM: Doggie Dash course closes
11:30 AM: Course closes
Everything happens at the cross-country course at WakeMed Soccer Park. The Doggie Dash and the regular 5K and 8K start separately, but their results and awards are combined. Times can shift for weather or safety, and the email we send the week before has the final word.
Park in the big lot by the cross-country course
WakeMed Soccer Park, 201 Soccer Park Drive, Cary, NC 27511. There's plenty of parking right near the course. Please go slow and watch for people walking through the lot.
Only registered dogs, please
Dogs signed up for the Doggie Dash are welcome. Spectators' dogs and any other dogs that aren't registered can't come into the event area, so please leave them at home.
Mutts & Marshmallows runs on the WakeMed Soccer Park cross-country course, a mix of dirt, grass, and natural trail. How it feels underfoot depends on the weather in the days before the race, so plan your shoes around it.
Water on the course and near the finish
Athletic trainer at the medical tent near the finish
Chip timing for everyone, with live results a few minutes after you finish
The course isn't USATF certified, and please bear in mind that GPS tracking apps are not suitable for measuring course distances accurately. The course maps show the elevation too.
Mugs and medals are guaranteed for everyone who signs up by December 27.
A Mutts & Marshmallows mug and finisher medal
For every 5K, 8K, and Fun Mile runner, plus all the hot chocolate you can drink. Guaranteed if you sign up by December 27, then while supplies last. Mugs can't be shipped, so virtual runners get a medal and a finisher gift instead. Shirts are sold separately.
Nearly $3,000 in potential awards
Top 3 men and women overall, top 3 in every age group, Picking Up the Pace awards for runners who beat their pace from one of our last two races, and a $10 gift code for any new course record. The Fun Mile has its own overall and age-group awards.
Fit & Able Free-for-All Series points
Mutts & Marshmallows is the first race of the series, so this is where the points for end-of-year prizes start.
Referral and team rewards
Bring friends along or build a team, and you can earn back the early bird price, plus Fit & Able credit. Details are on the registration page.
Sign up for the virtual race if you already know you can’t be there on race day. Or, if you’re registered for the in-person race and your plans change, email info@fitandable.net at least 48 hours before the race and we’ll switch you to virtual.
Run your 8K, 5K, or Fun Mile anywhere between January 2 at 6:00 AM and January 9 at 6:00 PM: around the neighborhood, on a greenway, even around the living room. You can add your dog to a virtual registration too, and that Doggie Dash fee goes to support the SPCA of Wake County.
Submit your time online during that window (RaceJoy can do it for you). Your medal and finisher gift ship to any US address the week after the race, shipping included, once your result is in. Top 3 overall and age-group finishers win Fit & Able gift codes.
Set a new one and win a $10 gift code.
5K Male: M. Destrouesse, 17:17 (2024)
5K Female: M. Ryan, 18:40 (2017)
8K Male: J. Pollard, 28:33 (2022)
8K Female: L. Saayman, 28:25 (2018)
The SPCA of Wake County is a Raleigh nonprofit that finds homes for dogs, cats, and small pets. They also run a spay and neuter clinic, a pet helpline, and pet food assistance for local families.
Mutts & Marshmallows supports the SPCA through the Doggie Dash. The full dog fee for every registered dog goes to support their work, so your running buddy is pitching in too.
Can I bring my dog?
Yes, in the Doggie Dash 5K or 8K. It's one dog per registered runner, on a leash the whole time, and your dog needs its own Doggie Dash registration, which you can add while you sign up. Dogs can't run the regular 5K, 8K, or Fun Mile, and dogs that aren't registered, including spectators' dogs, can't come into the event area.
Can my kids run too?
Yes, in the regular 5K, 8K, or Fun Mile. Kids 12 and under can't run in the Doggie Dash. Kids 4 and under can ride along through the Kids in Strollers registration, with their own bib, a parent registered in the 5K, 8K, or Fun Mile, and a proper buckle. Strollers can't go in the Doggie Dash.
When and where do I pick up my packet?
On race day only, at WakeMed Soccer Park. There's no early packet pickup. Bring a photo ID (a picture of it on your phone works). You can pick up a friend's packet if you have a photo of their ID. Anything not picked up on race day can't be shipped or refunded.
Can I sign up on race day?
Yes, from 7:30 to 9:30 AM. We take cash, checks, and cards. Online registration closes January 7 at 9 PM.
When will results and photos be up?
Live results post a few minutes after you finish. Final results and race photos are emailed after the race, and RunSignUp tags photos to your bib number, so keep your bib on the front.
How do I get my award?
There's no ceremony on race day. Awards are ready the week after, to pick up at Fleet Feet Morrisville or by email. Results are final for awards at 9 AM the Monday after the race, and age groups go by your age on December 31.
Can my family come and cheer?
Please do. Spectators are welcome along the course and outside the finish chute fencing. Check-in and the start and finish areas are for runners only, and please leave drones and unregistered dogs at home.
What if I need extra time or an accommodation?
Every Fit & Able race is open to anyone, of any age, skill level, or ability. If you might need extra time, email info@fitandable.net. For an accommodation, please reach out at least a month before race day so we can work out what's possible.
More answers on our Event FAQ page.
Hand out water, help at check-in and cheer runners home. Every Fit & Able race runs on volunteers.
Volunteer sign-upMeet runners and families on race day, as a sponsor or with an exhibitor booth.
Sponsorship optionsPick your distance and save your spot. Prices and registration are on RunSignUp.