Cook Medical Beat the Heat 5K

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Twin City Track Club
beattheheat@twincitytc.org | https://www.twincitytc.org/

 
Cook Medical Beat the Heat 5K Selected as 2026 Road Runners Club of America National Championship

Winston-Salem, NC – September 15, 2025 – The Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) has announced that the Cook Medical Beat the Heat 5K has been selected as the 2026 RRCA National Championship 5K race. The event will be held on Saturday, July 18, 2026 at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds.

The RRCA Championship Event Series is the largest grassroots-organized running series in the U.S., featuring more than 200 races that attract nearly 300,000 participants annually. Each year, RRCA designates State, Regional, and National Championship Events through a competitive bidding process. The goal of the series is to celebrate and shine a spotlight on well-run, community-focused races while recognizing top-performing athletes.

RRCA Championship Events include special awards for: Open male and female, 40+ male and female, 50+ male and female, 60+ male and female, open adaptive athlete male and female, and nonbinary.

In announcing the selection, RRCA Program Director Andy Smith noted that the Beat the Heat application stood out among many strong contenders:

“The RRCA board felt the Beat the Heat bid and the outstanding job that Twin City Track Club did hosting the RRCA State Championship met the criteria and standards set forth by the organization.”

The Twin City Track Club (TCTC), host of the Beat the Heat races, announced recently that Cook Medical has extended its Presenting Sponsorship through 2028, continuing a long-standing partnership with the event.

“The City of Winston-Salem is honored to have been chosen to host the RRCA National 5K Championship in 2026.  I congratulate the Twin City Track Club for their work to secure this prestigious event for our City,” said Allen Joines, Mayor of Winston-Salem.

"We are proud to be a longstanding presenting sponsor of Beat the Heat 5k, a vibrant event that brings our community together in fun and fitness while supporting vital charitable causes," said Tamisha Clark, GM and VP of Operations at Cook Winston-Salem. "This enduring partnership exemplifies our strong commitment to fostering meaningful connections within our community, and we eagerly look forward to an even more successful event in 2026."

The Beat the Heat races have a strong tradition of community impact. In 2025, the races raised $7,420 for charity partners Ainsley’s Angels of the Triad and Girls on the Run Greater Piedmont, bringing total charitable contributions since 2016 to more than $68,000. The 2025 edition welcomed 786 participants from 9 states, supported by 124 volunteers and 26 race sponsors including Cook Medical.

Now entering its twenty-sixth year under the Beat the Heat name, the event has become a Winston-Salem summertime tradition. The evening lineup includes a Family Fun Run/Walk (1 mile), the Beat the Heat 5K for all walkers and runners, and the Elite 5K showcasing top-level competition. True to its tagline, “Healthy Fun for Everyone,” the event offers something for participants of all ages and abilities, along with lively post-race and family-friendly festivities.

The Cook Medical Beat the Heat 5K has proudly hosted the RRCA North Carolina State 5K Championship in 2024 and 2025, and the city of Winston-Salem itself was designated a Runner Friendly Community by RRCA in 2021, further highlighting the region’s commitment to running and active living.

 
About Twin City Track Club

Beat the Heat is hosted by the Twin City Track Club, Inc. (TCTC), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting running and fitness in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina area. Over its 48-year history, TCTC has served runners and walkers of all abilities, hosted community programs, supported charity causes, and assisted with numerous organized running events. Learn more at www.twincitytc.org or follow @twincitytc on social media.

About Cook Medical

At Cook Medical, we are passionate about making unique, quality medical devices and connecting with people to improve lives. Founded on inventing, manufacturing, and delivering medical devices, we provide healthcare professionals with the tools they need to help their patients return to living. 

Our commitment to innovation involves bringing new products to market and keeping existing products relevant to a changing healthcare landscape. We believe in using our business to help people and communities thrive by creating inclusive, supportive, and healthy environments. 

We are proud of our history of innovative firsts and the impact we have on patients and communities. With headquarters in Bloomington, Indiana, and manufacturing facilities and offices in various global locations, we challenge ourselves to maintain a global perspective while focusing on local impact. 

Follow Cook Medical at CookMedical.com and on LinkedIn. 

About Road Runners Club of America (RRCA)

Founded in 1958, the Road Runners Club of America is the oldest and largest national association dedicated to growing the sport of running. Through its Championship Event Series, education programs, and Runner Friendly Community designation, RRCA supports runners of all ages and abilities. More at https://www.rrca.org/.