Lexington Health Heart & Sole Women's Five Miler

Message from the Race Director

Never say never. After retiring the Heart & Sole Women’s Five Miler in 2020 because of the pandemic and its profound impact on our race operations, we’ve decided to revive this awesome women’s-only event on May 16, 2026!

With a beautiful new venue in Columbia, South Carolina, at Gills Creek Memorial Park in Forest Acres and a scenic neighborhood course, we’re bringing you a re-imagined Heart & Sole Women’s Five Miler. We will once again offer a 5-mile run/walk and a 3.5-mile fitness walk. This time, however, both five-mile runners and walkers will be chip-timed, while 3-mile walkers will continue to enjoy a fun and relaxed untimed experience. So whether you’re an elite athlete or a woman looking for a special feel-good event to experience with your girlfriends, you’ll find something to love on Saturday, May 16.

You can count on this event to continue celebrating women's health and the power of a healthy lifestyle. Our all-female race committee is preparing special touches to set this event apart from all others so that every woman who participates will feel super special and appreciated.

Register now for the Heart & Sole so you can be part of the fun on May 16. We're coming back with a bang!

Until then, stay strong and healthy!

Jeanna Moffett
Race Director

Prize Purse for Winners

Cash awards will be presented to runners in the following categories:

·      Top five overall finishers: $500, $400, $300, $200, $150

·      Top three masters finishers: $150, $125, $100

·      Top three grand masters finishers: $100, $75, $50

·      Top three senior grand masters finishers: $75, $50, $25

Awards will also be given to the top three overall finishers* in each age category: 14 and under, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 54-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79 and 80+.

In addition, a special award is given each year to the oldest runner in honor of E.K. Tolley-Beeson, a beloved runner who never missed a Heart & Sole Women’s Five Miler until she lost a brave fight to breast cancer in 20212.

In accordance with USATF rules, all awards are based on gun time, not chip time.

*One award per participant.

$200 for New Course Record

A special $200 award will be given to the fastest runner in 2025 for the record on this new course.

The course record for the 2018 Heart & Sole course was set by Sara Ashton of Daniel Island, SC, with a time of 28:34. The course record for the original course was set in 2010 by Janet Cherobon of Norcross, GA, with a time of 26:55.

The scenic five-mile course winds through the beautiful tree-lined suburbs of Forest Acres in Columbia, SC. The course features a few rolling hills and a speedy downhill finish. Both runners and walkers in the five-mile event are chip-timed.

The three-mile fitness walk is untimed and features much of the same beautiful, tree-lined course as the five-miler.

All finishers receive a commemorative medal when they cross the finish line. ready for your content.

Join us after the race for an outdoor expo held in beautiful Gills Creek Memorial Park. We’re promoting fitness and healthy living at our expo, which features massages, healthy foods, snacks and recipes, health screenings, nutritional and exercise advice from health professionals, exercise apparel, etc.

Our post-event celebration features an awards ceremony, music and health-oriented activities and is hosted by fitness advocate and former WIS-10 news anchor Dawndy Mercer Plank.

Expo Vendor Information

Interesting in booth space? Health and fitness-related vendors interested in purchasing booth space at the event should email katie.miller@governorscupsc.org.

The Heart & Sole Women’s Five Miler is South Carolina’s premier women’s-only road race and walk. Established in 2002, the event attracts women of all ages and athletic abilities. From elite female runners to women participating in their first formal walk, the Heart & Sole Five Miler embraces them all.

An event established by women and for women, the Heart & Sole Women’s Five Miler calls attention to the number one killer of women— heart disease. At its health and wellness expo, the Heart & Sole event offers blood pressure checks, health screenings and information on healthy living to help women protect themselves from this deadly disease.

Packet pickup will be held at the Forest Acres location of Fleet Feet, located at 4525 Forest Drive, Columbia, SC, 29206, on Thursday, May 15, and Friday, May 16, from noon to 7 p.m. and on race day at Gills Creek Memorial Park from 6 to 7 a.m.

Saturday, May 17

Gills Creek Memorial Park
24 Forest Lake Place
Columbia, SC  29206

7:00 a.m.
Opening Ceremony

7:30 a.m.
Five-mile Run and Walk (Chip-timed)

7:35 a.m.
3.5-Mile Fitness Walk (Untimed)

8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Expo and Post-event Celebration

9:15 a.m. (approximately)
Awards Ceremony

10:00 a.m.
Course Closes

The Lexington Medical Center Heart & Sole Women’s Five Miler is sponsored by Lexington Medical Center, a health care network that includes six community medical centers, 70 physician practices, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, and comprehensive cardiovascular and cancer care affiliated with Duke Medicine. The hospital, which earned a three-star rating for quality and outcomes in coronary artery bypass surgery, is also an accredited Chest Pain Center and Primary Stroke Center. 

WIS Television, located in Columbia, SC, is the local news leader and an NBC affiliate. Long recognized for its work and community commitment, WIS was recently named the South Carolina Broadcasters Association Station of the Year. WIS Television has been a sponsor of the Heart & Sole Women’s Five Miler since its inception.

Forest Acres is a thriving city where community is made. It is home to the area's premier shopping and dining district and home to some of the best parks in the Midlands of South Carolina. With its signature tree-lined streets, green spaces are part of daily life from outdoor concerts to a weekly farmer’s market. The area's top-rated public schools are located here, as are many thriving small businesses, all supported by friendly neighbors who help make this community a coveted place to live. 

What an exciting finish line performance at the 19th Heart and Sole Women’s Five Miler on May 17. Liv Paxton from Charlotte, NC, blazed through the new course in 30 minutes and 18 seconds, with Victoria Hammersmith from Greenville, SC, a mere one second behind. It was a dramatic win for the revival of this beloved women’s only event in its new location in Forest Acres, SC.

The weather was warm and humid, and the energy was electric as nearly 700 women of all ages gathered to celebrate women and the power of a healthy lifestyle. In a moving moment at the opening ceremony, we released eight white doves to symbolize the rebirth of the event. We loved seeing lots of newcomers and cherished seeing the familiar faces of women who have faithfully followed the event since its beginning.

A shout out to presenting sponsor Lexington Medical Center, whose employees were out in record numbers volunteering and staffing the health and wellness expo. The city of Forest Acres graciously hosted us at its beautiful new Gills Creek Memorial Park, and WIS News 10 helped get the word out to women across the Midlands.

We’re grateful to Scoop of Heaven Ice Cream in Elgin, SC, for the custom-made strawberry sorbet, which offered a perfectly delicious way to cool off after the event. And Earth Fare and Bruegger’s Bagels kept our runners and walkers replenished with their generous donations of refreshments and water. Participants also enjoyed visiting with Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the many local businesses at our expo that want to help women stay strong and healthy.  

We’re grateful to ERA Wilder Realty and the Run for God team from Riverland Hills Baptist Church for efficiently staffing our water stops. And to the American Heritage Girls ringing cowbells, Easy Does It Duo with Bob Michalski, Annika Slaby on violin, Martha’s Vault, Jacobi Gunter on drums, Cocky and Mason the Firefly for keeping everyone entertained. And we thank the dozens of course monitors who kept everyone on course and cheered on the women. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Keep your eyes out for the return of our event in 2026. We will announce the date soon. Until then, stay strong and healthy!

Jeanna Moffett
Race Director