The short version: Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11, so most Texas races honoring veterans run the Saturday before, Nov. 7. We found 15 on RunSignup between Nov. 1 and Nov. 14, from 5Ks to a half marathon to ruck marches. Veterans run free in Denton (Nov. 1), Midland lists every event at $0, and Celina’s police-led ruck is free. Fees below are RunSignup race fees on Oct. 11, before processing fees.
| Race | Date | City | Distances and fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salute to Veterans | Sun., Nov. 1 | Denton | Half $55 · 10K $40 · 5K $35 · veterans free |
| Veterans Day 5K, 10K & Ruck | Sat., Nov. 7 | Midland | 5K, 10K, 5K ruck, kids 1K · $0 |
| Veterans Day Ruck March | Sat., Nov. 7 | Celina | 5K ruck · free |
| Rucks On Main | Sat., Nov. 7 | Temple | 6-mile ruck · $45 |
| Patriots Run 5K | Sat., Nov. 7 | Plano | 5K $45 · 1-mile fun run $30 |
| Veterans Day Honor Run | Sat., Nov. 7 | Prosper | 10K or 5K $45 · fun run $25 |
| VCG Freedom 5K | Sat., Nov. 7 | Friendswood | 5K $35 · kids 1K $20 |
| Mighty Oaks Veterans Day Run | Sat., Nov. 7 | Conroe | 10K or 5K $22 |
| Veterans Day Ruck & Roll | Sat., Nov. 7 | Mathis | 10K $30 · 5K $25 |
| San Antonio Veterans Day 5K | Sat., Nov. 7 | San Antonio | 5K $25 |
| Salute the Troops 5K | Sun., Nov. 8 | McAllen | 5K $30 · veterans $15 |
| Veterans Day Freedom Run (4 cities) | Sat., Nov. 14 | Cedar Park, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio | Half $45–$50 · 10K $42–$45 · 5K $37–$42 |
Where veterans and service members run free or cheap
- Denton, Nov. 1: the Salute to Veterans 5K, 10K and Half Marathon at North Lakes Park is free for veterans and $15 for active-duty military, with any government-issued military ID. Everyone else pays $55 for the half, $40 for the 10K or $35 for the 5K until Oct. 26, rising slightly after that. Every finisher gets a custom medal, and awards go three deep overall, by masters, grand masters and senior masters, and in five-year age groups. It starts at 8 a.m., and it is the only Veterans Day race on this list with a timed half marathon.
- Midland, Nov. 7: the Veterans Day 5K, 10K & Ruck at Midland College lists all four events (5K, 10K, 5K ruck and kids 1K) at $0 on RunSignup. This year’s event is themed to America’s 250th anniversary. Everything starts at 8 a.m.
- Celina, Nov. 7: the Celina Police Department hosts a free 5K ruck march at 8:30 a.m., open to all ages and fitness levels. Carry a weighted pack or just walk. Advance registration is required, finishers get a patch, and you can add an optional donation to the Celina Police Association.
- McAllen, Nov. 8: Salute the Troops 5K at 7:30 a.m. is $30, or $15 for the veterans entry with military ID.
Ruck marches
Rucking, walking or hiking with a loaded backpack, comes from military training, and it has become a standard division at Veterans Day events.
- Rucks On Main, Temple (Nov. 7, 9 a.m.): a 6-mile route from Santa Fe Plaza through downtown and North Temple’s historic neighborhoods. Marchers fill their rucks with up to 40 pounds of nonperishable food, which is donated to charity; the weight is a suggestion, not a requirement. $45, and walk-up registration is allowed, but the organizer doesn’t guarantee a shirt for late entries.
- Veterans Day Ruck & Roll, Mathis (Nov. 7, 8 a.m.): a 5K run or walk ($25) or 10K ruck ($30) at Lake Corpus Christi State Park, with a patriotic opening ceremony. Last year’s event raised $2,750; this year’s proceeds go to a Nueces County-area veterans nonprofit that helps with VA benefits, jobs and education. Registration closes the night of Oct. 16.
- Midland and Celina (above) also have 5K rucks, and Dallas’s Freedom Run (below) has a ruck 5K.
Charity 5Ks and 10Ks on Nov. 7
- Patriots Run 5K, Plano: at the Red Tail Pavilion in Oak Point Park, home of the Plano Flags of Honor display. A presentation of colors and the Pledge of Allegiance are tentatively planned to open the morning, followed by the 1-mile fun run (8 a.m., $30) and 5K (8:30 a.m.). The 5K is $45 until Nov. 1 and $50 after. Wheeled participants get a five-minute head start. Proceeds support VFW veteran assistance programs and student scholarships.
- Prosper Veterans Day Honor Run: 10K at 8:30 a.m., 5K at 8:50 and fun run at 9:15. $45 for either race until race day, then $50. Proceeds go toward a veterans memorial planned at Frontier Park. Strollers and wheelchairs are welcome.
- VCG Freedom 5K, Friendswood: the first year of this race, which benefits Veteran College Grants, a nonprofit that funds education grants and scholarships for veterans, spouses and children. The kids 1K starts at 7:30 a.m. in Stevenson Park and the 5K follows at about 7:45 through Old Town Friendswood. $35 (kids $20), chip timed, and stroller and dog friendly.
- Mighty Oaks Veterans Day Run, Conroe: 5K or 10K for $22 at 8 a.m., raising awareness of veteran suicide and money for the Mighty Oaks Foundation’s recovery programs for military members and first responders.
- San Antonio Veterans Day 5K: $25, starting at 9 a.m. at 500 W. Commerce St. downtown. Bib pickup is Nov. 5–6 at Viva! Cocina Patio and Bar on McCullough Avenue, or 8:30–9:30 a.m. on race day. No refunds.
Nov. 14: the Freedom Run series
The Veterans Day Freedom Run runs the same Saturday in four metros: Brushy Creek Lake Park in Cedar Park, the Trinity River Trail in Fort Worth, Buffalo Bayou in Houston and Lady Bird Johnson Park in San Antonio. Know what you’re buying: these are small, capped group runs in waves, not chip-timed races. You track your own time on an app and submit it, the shirt and medal ship to your house, and the organizer emails the course map. You can raise money for a charity of your choice. Half marathon entries are $45 in Cedar Park and $50 elsewhere, and a no-shirt “eco” entry is $30 everywhere.
First responder and hometown-hero runs on Nov. 14
- Freedom Run, Dallas: the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers’ tribute to the heroes and victims of Sept. 11, 2001, marks its 25th year at Trinity Groves. 5K run or 5K ruck $54.99 until Oct. 30, then $59.99; 1-mile walk $34.99; first responders get a discounted 5K ($39.99). Opening ceremonies at 7:30 a.m.; proceeds go to the Dallas Assist the Officer Foundation.
- Heroes Among Us 5K, Hillsboro: hosted by the Hillsboro Department of Public Safety to raise money for its Shop With A Hero Christmas program. $50, 8 a.m.
Plan around the rest of November
Nov. 7 is also the weekend of the Fort Worth Marathon festival and the end of the Día de los Muertos races, and clocks fall back on Nov. 1, so check our running-in-the-dark plan if you train after work. Prefer a longer race that weekend? See our Nov. 7–8 race weekend guide for the Harbor Half, Transmountain Half and Mustang Marathon. The Veterans Day races in Texas page updates daily as new events post, and Texas turkey trots are three weeks later.
