Dare to run, walk, or zombie crawl through the spookiest 5K in the Smokies! The Very Scary 5K & 1 Mile Fun Run starts and ends at The Abbey in Townsend, TN, featuring the scariest swag in the history of Very Scary 5Ks—including a "very scary" finisher medal, spine-chilling t-shirt, exclusive decal, and more surprises!
This fully supported nighttime race guarantees a thrilling experience—you might even (OK, you almost certainly will) encounter a terrifying sight along the way!
AWARDS & TIMING
Unique awards will be given for the 5K in the following categories (male & female):
🏆 Open: Fastest finish (any age)
🏆 Masters: Fastest finish (age 40+)
🏆 Grandmasters: Fastest finish (age 50+)
🏆 Veterans: Fastest finish (age 60+)
The 5K is chip timed, but per USATF regulations, awards will be based on gun time. The awards ceremony will begin promptly at 9:00 PM. The 1 mile fun run is untimed, but don't worry—you're getting all the same sweet swag as the 5K. Awards must be picked up on race day—no shipping. Again, we won't be shipping any swag or awards, and we can't hold it for late pickup, so get your goodies before the race!
REGISTER EARLY!
Shirts will be printed one week before race day. Register early to guarantee your size—late sign-ups are not guaranteed a shirt! No shirts will be held or mailed to participants.
RULES & REGULATIONS
For safety and insurance reasons, pets, strollers, wagons, roller skates, skateboards, scooters, mopeds, or hoverboards are not allowed on the course.
👻 Costumes Encouraged!
Kick off the fun with our costume contest at 7:00 PM, one hour before race start. Top costumes will win awards, so dress to impress (or terrify)!
Sign up now—if you dare! 😱🎃👟
Oct 30, 2026
Distance — 1.6K
Type — Running
20:00
$45.00
Oct 30, 2026
Distance — 5K
Type — Running
20:00
$45.00
These values represent the 3-year monthly averages for October in Townsend.
Learn more about the host city, Townsend.
Townsend is a city in Blount County, Tennessee. The city was chartered in 1921 by persons who were involved with the Little River Railroad and Lumber Company. The population was 550 at the 2020 census. For thousands of years a site of Native American occupation by varying cultures, Townsend is one of three "gateways" to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It has several museums and attractions relating to the natural and human history of the Great Smokies.
Read more launchOfficial finishing times from previous editions of Smoky Mountain Very Scary 5K.
| Place | Name | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Evelynn Villagran | — | |
| 🥈 | Valerie Gilbert | — | |
| 🥉 | Robin Neavitt | — |
Read what other athletes have to say about their experience at the Smoky Mountain Very Scary 5K.
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location_on Knoxville, Tennessee, US
calendar_today Oct 03, 2026
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