Great Island 5K
The Great Island 5K starts and finishes in the spectacular Great Island Common. It runs through the historic streets of New Castle, New Hampshire and along the banks of the Piscataqua River and Atlantic Ocean. We are a family friendly race with 3 fun runs and a playground for the kids. Our food and raffle are legendary! Proceeds of the race benefit recreational opportunities in the seacoast, the Thomas W. Quinn scholarships and school running programs at MHT Elementary School, Rye Junior High and Portsmouth High.
Our Why
All proceeds go to benefit the Thomas W. Quinn Memorial Scholarships (Awarded annually to graduating HS seniors.), the Portsmouth High School Track and Field Booster Club, the New Castle MHT Elementary school track team, the Rye JH track team, and the New Castle Recreation Fund. On average, we have raised over $15,000.00 per year to benefit these and other causes!
A Word From Our Runners:
Photo Gallery
FAQ
The 5K is Sunday, October 9, 2022, at 10:00 AM.
Both the registration center and the start of the race are at the Great Island Common in New Castle, NH. The start is less than 200 meters from the registration center. The race itself starts and finishes at the same spot. The course winds around the scenic roads of New Castle. For a map of the registration center and the Great Island Common click here. You can also enter 265 Wentworth Road, New Castle, NH into a map app for directions.
See the Registration Info page here.
To see a map of the course, click here.
All proceeds go to benefit the Thomas W. Quinn Memorial Scholarships (Awarded annually to graduating HS seniors.), the Portsmouth High School Track and Field Booster Club, the New Castle MHT Elementary school track team, the Rye JH track team, and the New Castle Recreation Fund. On average, we have raised over $15,000.00 per year to benefit these and other causes!
The 2021 race cost is $30.00 plus a processing fee. The cost by mail or in-person, including race day, is $30.00. The cost for online entry into the fun run is $10.00 (plus a processing fee), $10.00 by mail or in-person, and $10.00 on race day.
5K runners may register or pick up their numbers and hats (if already registered) at the following days/times:
- On race day from 8:00 – 9:45 AM at the Great Island Common Recreation Building.
The first 500 entrants to the 5K race will receive a hat. Those interested in a Great Island 5K t-shirt may order on when registering online.
There are open, age-grade masters, age-group, race walking, New Castle resident, and team awards.
There is also a $400 bonus for setting a new course record. The current course records are 14:41 for males – set by Joseph Ekuom in 2008 – and 16:37 for females – set by Claudia Camargo in 2006.
The open awards are as follows:
| 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
| $200 | $125 | $75 |
The age-grade masters awards are as follows:
| 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
| $125 | $75 | $50 |
Age Group awards are Gift Certificates or Merchandise to the top 3 finishers in the following age groups:
| 14 & under | 15 – 19 | 20 – 29 | 30 – 39 | 40 – 49 | 50 – 59 | 60 – 69 | 70 – 79 | 80 – 89 | 90 & over |
Race Walking Awards are as follows:
The top three male and female Race Walkers will receive gift certificates or merchandise (you must walk the entire way to be eligible).
The first and second male and female New Castle residents will receive an award.
Walking is a great way to take in the beauty of our course. We encourage those interested in walking to join the fun!
The GI5K course is scenic but has many corners. In addition, we have over 1000 runners and walkers. For these reasons, we allow only non-competitive strollers. People with strollers are asked to start at the back of the pack and be considerate of the walkers and runners around them. Please come with your child or children but take your time and soak up the full GI5K experience.