Lace up those precisely engineered running shoes, strap the toddler in the stroller, and leash up the dog – it’s time for Highlands’ beloved Rotary Twilight 5K.
On August 15, runners will head out from Kelsey‑Hutchinson Founders Park and make their way through Highlands’ in‑town neighborhoods for the annual Rotary Twilight 5K.
Race Director Bill Grubb expects more than 250 registrants this year, though that number only tells part of the story.
People typically come in from a dozen or more states, and it’s common to see families moving together at the back of the pack while more experienced runners set the pace up front, with the whole field spread out across the same neighborhood streets.
The course hasn’t changed, and that’s by design. It winds through in‑town roads past Harris Lake and other familiar landmarks, and while it’s relatively flat by Highlands standards, it’s still just challenging enough to keep runners honest.
“We don’t intend to change that,” Grubb says.
That consistency is part of what keeps people coming back: returning runners know the rhythm of the route, where they can settle in and where they might want to push, while first‑timers get a course that feels approachable right away.
The race started in 2013 as a modest fundraiser with an $8,500 goal, and it has grown steadily ever since in both turnout and impact. Last year, 294 runners registered and the event brought in more than $35,000 for the Highlands Community Child Development Center.
This year, the race is backed by more than 40 local businesses and individual patrons.
Proceeds for 2026 will go to the Gordon Center for Children, a program of Highlands United Methodist Church focused on child development.
The race begins at 6:00 P.M. By then, the heat of an August day has usually backed off a bit, and runners can settle into a pace that feels manageable. (People from off the Plateau may chuckle about our “August heat,” but if you’ve been here a while, it’s something that feels real.) Spectators line parts of the route, and by the time the first finishers make it back to the park, a crowd is already waiting.
There’s complimentary beer for finishers of legal age, light‑up necklaces for kids, and awards for the top male and female runners overall, plus age‑group winners in five‑year increments.
After that, the evening shifts into something more relaxed. The park fills up for an all‑ages concert by local favorite ABC Combo, and the finish line turns into the kind of place people want to stick around and enjoy.
Registration is open through RunSignUp at runsignup.com/Race/NC/Highlands/HighlandsTwilight5K.
You can run it hard, walk it, or push a stroller the whole way. However you do it, you’re part of the same evening.
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