SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3 | NEW ORLEANS LAKEFRONT

SATURDAY, OCT 3
NEW ORLEANS LAKEFRONT

SIGN UP ABOUT TEAMS 5k FAQs
SIGN UP ABOUT TEAMS 5k FAQs

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

Single Group

ABOUT THE FCF 5K RUN/WALK

Take your mark and get ready to run it back for year two! After an overwhelming turnout at the inaugural FCF 5K Run/Walk last year, the big race is returning on Saturday, Oct. 3, before festival gates open, with the standard 5K for runners, walkers, and joggers of all abilities, as well as the Kids 1-Mile Fun Run for kiddos 12 & under with an accompanying adult. Take your pick of two registration options (one with festival access and one for just the run) and secure your spot now–all registration prices increase incrementally as race day approaches.

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WHICH REGISTRATION OPTION SHOULD I CHOOSE? 

5K + FESTIVAL ADMISSION

Perfect for those who want to run hard and party harder! Enjoy the full National Fried Chicken Festival experience with the race Saturday morning and access to Day 2 of the festival. This ticket is valid for Saturday, Oct. 3 only, with 1x re-entry back into the fest later in the day.

5K
ONLY 

For those just looking to set a PR, hit the post-race celebration, and head home, this is for you. And hey, if the FOMO hits and you change your mind, you can always grab a festival ticket at the gate.

WHAT COMES WITH MY REGISTRATION?

5K + FESTIVAL ADMISSION

5K ONLY • KIDS 1-MILE • STUDENT REGISTRATION

Race Bib 

YES

YES

Finisher Medal 

YES

YES

Race Shirt 

YES

YES

Post-Race Party 

YES

YES

Festival Admission – Saturday, Oct. 3
Each registrant will receive a ticket for 1x re-entry to the fest on Saturday

YES

NO

Team Registration

YES

YES

Multi-Person Pricing

YES

YES

PRICING SCHEDULE

TIER

DATES

Early Bird

June 23 – July 6 (National Fried Chicken Day)

Advance 1

July 7 – August 12

Advance 2

August 13 – October 1

On-Site / Weekend-Of

October 2 – 4

BUILD YOUR TEAM & COMPETE FOR $1,000

The team with the most registered participants will win a $1,000 cash prize.

Whether you’re representing your company, social club, run club, or community organization, now is the time to rally your crew and claim the title! 

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KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

You’ve got questions. We have answers!

The New Orleans Lakefront; Lakeshore Drive @ Franklin Avenue

The run will line up outside of The National Fried Chicken Festival — held at the scenic New Orleans Lakefront along Lakeshore Drive in the green space directly behind the UNO Lakefront Arena.

The start/finish line begins in front of Fried Chicken Festival Front Gates. From there, the course will travel down Lakeshore Drive westbound. There will be water stations along the route. After turning around at the Bayou St. John marker, you’ll follow the same path back to the finish line of the race. The race winds around the historic Lake Pontchartrain. Expect to watch the sailboats on the water, palms blowing in the wind, your family cheering you on, and crispy, crunchy, fried chicken waiting for you at the end with a post race party.

DATE: Saturday, October 3, 2026

5K RUN / WALK
Start Time: 8:30AM

1 mi KIDS FUN RACE 
Start Time: 10AM

POST RACE PARTY
As racers make their way back to the finish line—sweaty, smiling, and maybe slightly regretting that last kilometer—our Festival Gates will swing open for a well-earned post race celebration.

This FCF 5K Run/Walk is USATF Certified and timed by Grounded Running. A 5K is a 5 Kilometer (3.1 mile long) race.

We encourage participants to come comfortable to run/walk — come rain or shine.

Themed costumes and unique outfits are encouraged and welcome. ADA and accessibility accommodations are available. Click here to learn more.

  • Our FCF 5K is perfect for walkers, runners, joggers of all abilities. 
  • Our 1-mile Kids Fun Run for kids 12 & under. 
  • Children in strollers do not need to be registered but will need to stay in the stroller for their safety and and to ensure the race runs smoothly for all participants

Children under 7 years old will not need to be registered; however, they will need to remain in a stroller for their safety and to ensure the race runs smoothly for all participants.

On your Race Registration, please select your size and style.

Your t-shirt will be available for pick-up during Race Packet Pick-up (dates and locations to be announced). We cannot guarantee the availability of your preferred size for registrations made a week before the race.

Every runner, walker, and community member has a story—and ours started with bringing people together around classic southern food, and Fried Chicken.

Before race day, you can choose to donate to a worthy cause or an organization whose story speaks to you. Your donation helps support and uplift our community.

The Fried Chicken Festival (FCF) brings together food, music, family, culture and—new this year—a healthy 5K run or walk, followed by a vibrant community post-race party. Since our founding in 2016 we have helped dozens of small, independently owned chefs and restaurants grow through the exposure received at our festival, and now our step towards integrating our cultural love of food, while balancing the need for health and wellness if our newest frontier.

We are grateful for your participation in the 5k, and if you feel so compelled to chip in an extra $10 or more to help advance the mission of the National Fried Chicken Festival of bringing diverse groups of people together around a common love of food, while supporting small businesses, we would appreciate your support! The National Fried Chicken Festival is owned and produced by Festivals for Good, a 501c3 Nonprofit organization.

Can I bring a stroller? Yes, we are stroller-friendly, but we encourage you to stay at the back of the start line for the safety of others! We want even our littlest “runners” to experience our 5K or instead sign up for the 1 mi Kids Fun Run where they can run with kids their age.

Can I bring my dog? Dogs are not allowed at the 5K event.

Besides the satisfaction of crossing the golden, fried finish line, we award medals to all runners and walkers! 

A cash prize of $250 will be given to the following categories

  • 1st Male 
  • 1st Female 
  • 1st Male Student 
  • 1st Female Student 

A $1000 cash prize will be given to the team with the most participants

Visit our registration page and select a team when purchasing tickets.

For more information on sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to us at [email protected]!

If you register 5+ people at once as a team, you will save $5 per racer.

LEVEL 1: REGISTRATION + FESTIVAL ACCESS ON SATURDAY, OCT 3

These registrants will receive access to the 5K race and a ticket for re-entry to the festival on Saturday, Oct. 3 only, included in their race packet. 

LEVEL 2: 5K ONLY • KIDS 1-MILE • STUDENT REGISTRATION 

These registrants may participate in the race only and do NOT receive festival access on Saturday.

NOTE: ALL registered runners WILL have access to the official post-race party immediately following the race on Saturday morning

Thanks to our sponsors

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