🌞 Welcome to the Annual Sunshine Festival July 4th Race on St Simons Island!
Finisher medals for all 5k and 1-mile finishers (with a bib on)
🌐 Website
- Official Site: This is our OFFICIAL Race Website!
- Local Info: There are many local social media and web "local event" calendars for the Golden Isles, they are not always up to date for our event in spite of our efforts.
⚠️ Important Notes
- Starting Line: Self-seeded by average expected pace per mile.
- Strollers: ARE ALLOWED, be careful and respectful of the Adaptive Athletes.
- Dogs: ARE NOT ALLOWED: this is due to insurance liability and safety issues.
- Registration: PRE-RACE DAY Walk-up registration on July 3rd is available. NO RACE DAY registrations on July 4th.
📅 Pre-Race Day Packet Pickup & Walk Up Registration
- Date: Wednesday, July 3rd, 4-7 pm at St. Simons Presbyterian Church social hall, 205 Kings Way.
- Instructions: After picking up your bib, you will proceed to a different line to pick up your shirt.
- Friends/Family: Your friends or family can pick up your packet but may have to get in multiple lines.
🏁 Race Day
- No Registrations: NO RACE DAY registrations.
- Packet Pickup: Thursday, July 4th, 6 am Kings Park basketball courts (Park & Mallery streets).
- 5k Race: Starts at 7 am and 1 Mile Run starts at 8 am.
- Awards Ceremony: 8:30 am.
📍 Starting Line
Start/Finish Location: St Simons Park / Kings Park, 515 Park Ave, St Simons Island, GA 31522 (Across from Mallery Park and by the basketball court).
🚻 Bathrooms
- Locations: 2 multi-stall bathrooms across the street in Mallery Park, 8 bathrooms in the Village Pier Casino building, and 8 Porta-potties by the starting line.
📷 Photos
Sports in Motion Photography will be photographing our event this year. We are providing the digital images for FREE! Please look for an email after the event with a direct link to your images or you can go to www.simphotos.com to view photos too.
🛍️ Vendors On-Site Race Day
- Food and Drink: Sandy Bottom Bagels, Parkers (water), Georgia Watermelon Association (watermelon), and more!
- Healthy Snacks: Winn-Dixie & GITC (oranges, bananas, cookies).
- Special Treats: Fuse Frozen Yogurt (handing out frozen yogurt while it lasts).
🏃♂️ 5K Route
USTAF Certified 5k route. You can check the route video preview here.
1️⃣ 1 Mile Route
The 1 Mile route will be 1 Loop this year and will finish at the same finish line as the 5k. The 1 mile run is timed by chip but starts from gun time.
Check the 1 Mile route here.
🏅 Awards
The Award Ceremony will take place at approximately 8:30 am. All 5k and 1-mile participants who complete the course and are wearing a bib will receive a Finisher medal.
🚗 Parking
Parking is a challenge, please carpool, be dropped off, ride a bike, or walk! Stay away from private residences.
🏨 Hotel Discount
Attention Runners! Use this link for 20% off at Sea Palms Resort: Sea Palms Resort.
🎉 Sunshine Festival Craft Show
Stay after the race and come shop 70 original art & handmade booths at Crafts in the Village located in the heart of the pier village. For more information, visit us on Facebook at Crafts in the Village.
🎆 Golf Cart Parade & Fireworks
Golf Cart Parade: 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM.
Fireworks: 9:00 pm.
📅 Event Details
Date: July 4th, 2025. Location: 601 Mallery Street, Saint Simons Island, GA.
For more details and registration, visit the race page.