North Carolina Azalea Festival Seahawk Sun Run Presented by Harris Teeter in Partnership with UNCW Homecoming

WHAT:
The North Carolina Azalea Festival Seahawk Sun Run Presented by Harris Teeter in Partnership with UNCW Homecoming

Join us at UNCW! The Azalea Festival is excited to host the Seahawk Sun Run on the UNCW Campus as part of the UNCW Homecoming weekend.  The event includes a 5K and 1 Mile.  You can walk or run either event.  The Festival is happy to partner with the UNCW Alumni Association to provide this Homecoming event for alumni and the Wilmington community!

DATE:
Saturday, February 14, 2026

START/FINISH LINE LOCATION:
UNCW Amphitheater
615 Hamilton Drive
Wilmington, NC 28403

DISTANCES OFFERED:
5K - This event is timed
1 Mile - This event is not timed
*You can walk or run either event.  

HOW TO REGISTER:
Register Before the Race: Click on the SIGN UP button in the upper right corner
Register At Pre-Race Packet Pickup or On Race Day:  To register at packet pickup or at the race, we will provide a QR code for you to register on your phone.  You can also register online from your phone or device up until the race starts. 

PARKING:
Parking is available at Fisher Student Center (615 Hamilton Dr, Wilmington, NC 28403) as well as the UNCW Visitor Lot (4941 Riegel Road, Wilmington, NC 28403).

PACKET PICKUP & RACE SCHEDULE:
Click HERE for the full schedule of events

HOW YOUR REGISTRATION MAKES A DIFFERENCE
The Azalea Festival Seahawk Sun Run benefits several great organizations.

North Carolina Azalea Festival
Participants registering as an individual racer, 100% of your proceeds go to the North Carolina Azalea Festival. The Festival's mission is to stimulate the economy and promote volunteerism. The Festival creates an estimated 51 million dollars annually in economic stimulus, and has over 1,000 volunteers who help plan, manage, and orchestrate around 50 Azalea Festival events each year.

Fellowship in Volunteerism & Civic Engagement Scholarship
For participants registering as a direct participant of UNCW Homecoming Weekend, 100% proceeds go to the Fellowship in Volunteerism and Civic Engagement Scholarship at UNCW. The Fellowship provides scholarships for UNCW students who intern with the Festival, learning valuable non-profit event management skills and the importance of giving back to your community.

paws4people
For participants participating with their dog, 50% of your proceeds go to paws4people. paws4people facilitates opportunities for individuals to experience a fulfilling life by providing customized training with a highly-qualified Assistance Dog.

 

ABOUT THE NORTH CAROLINA AZALEA FESTIVAL 
The North Carolina Azalea Festival is held every Spring in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Azalea Festival’s roots go back to 1934 with Dr. Houston Moore who had the vision of transforming un-kept, swampy Greenfield Lake into a beautifully landscaped park. He enlisted the support of a coalition of local clubs, headed by the Wilmington Rotary Club, to bring the vision to life. It took nearly ten years of financial ups and down before the park finally blossomed, but once it did, its splendor inspired Dr. Moore to conceive the idea of a Festival to be held annually ‘when the flowers burst into bloom’. The first North Carolina Azalea Festival was held in 1948 and despite modest projections, drew over 60,000 spectators – including one invited guest that came all the way from Hollywood: movie queen Jacqueline White, who was named the first Queen Azalea.

Here is a quick snapshot of who we are:

- We're locally-grown; in 1948 Wilmington citizens and various community groups came together to create the first Azalea Festival.
- Our mission is to stimulate the economy and promote volunteerism.
- We help create an estimated $51 million dollars annually in economic stimulus.
- We have over 1,000 volunteers who help plan, manage, and orchestrate around 50 Azalea Festival events each year.
- Many big names have joined us at the Azalea Festival: President Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Carrie Underwood, Duran Duran, Snoop Dogg, Kelly Ripa, Phylicia Rashad, Michael Jordan...just to name a few!