Scrub Jay Races

  • Date Sat 24th January 2026
  • Time 8:00AM EST
  • Location Osprey, Florida
  • Price $40.22 - $50.82
  • Races 4 races
  • Distances 5km, 10km

Event summary

Get ready for an exciting day of running at the 26th annual Scrub Jay Races on Saturday, January 24, 2026, in beautiful Osprey, Sarasota! This exhilarating event features two unique race distances: a scenic 5K designed for road runners and the challenging Scramble 10K, perfect for trail enthusiasts. The 5K course offers a blend of hard-packed surfaces and nature trails, allowing participants to experience the stunning beauty of Oscar Scherer Park. In contrast, the Scramble 10K will test your skills with its rugged terrain, including the infamous sugar sand, and features newly created pedestrian underpasses and overpasses for an added thrill.

Both races start and finish near the Nature Center at Lake Osprey, ensuring convenience for all participants with packet pick-up, post-race festivities, and plenty of parking. Enjoy a lively post-race party with delicious refreshments like hot dogs and fruit, plus custom finisher's medals for all who cross the finish line. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to challenge yourself in a beautiful setting, connect with fellow runners, and create lasting memories! Register early starting June 25, 2025, and secure your chance to receive a snazzy tech race

Organiser's Description

2026 RACE DATE IS 1/24/26 REGISTRATION OPENS JUNE 25, 2025. MEMBERS OF THE FRIENDS OF OSCAR SCHERER PARK CAN EMAIL FOR A DISCOUNT COUPON CODE. MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING OF LOCAL RUNNING AND TRIATHLON CLUBS WITH MEMBERSHIP ON RUNSIGNUP WILL HAVE THEIR CLUB MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT APPLIED AUTOMATICALLY DURING REGISTRATION. NOT A MEMBER BUT CONSIDERING JOINING? CHECK OUT THE CLUBS PAGE.



Join us for the 26th annual 5K and Scramble 10K. The 5K and 10K utilize different starts and courses! the 5K is more road-runner friendly with some trails and the Scramble 10K is a more challenging trail course but with the same finish and a post race party by the Nature Center and pavilions. Everything is in the vicinity of the Nature Center at Lake Osprey: packet pick up, starts, finish and post race are all within a very short walk of the parking areas.



The Scrub Jay 5K is a course designed with the road-runners in mind. There is still the beauty and nature of Oscar Scherer Park on mostly hard packed surfaces but there are still some tree roots and a section on the trails and a little bit of the dreaded "sugar sand." You will begin near the Nature Center and travel the length of the main entrance road just about to the entrance before turning onto the Lester Finley trail and South Creek Nature Trail on mostly prepared-surface park trails including crushed shell and paver paths then onto earthen trails for the last 3/4 mile with only a very small sandy area.



The Scrub Jay Scramble 10K is a course on the trails, sugar-sand included, with some ups and downs using recently created pedestrian underpasses and overpasses. Designed by trail runners for trail runners using the parks' features to challenge even experienced trail runners. Check out the detailed description and map of the Scrub Jay Scramble 10K. For 2025 there will be a slight detour to avoid the damaged areas of the Orange Trail.



YOUR REGISTRATION INCLUDES custom finisher's medal for all finishers and a post-race featuring hot dogs (veggie dogs on request), fruit and other snacks. Participants will receive a snazzy tech race shirt locally designed and printed by Gulf Breeze Apparel as long as supplies last.*



*NOTE: Race shirts will be ordered approximately three weeks before race day to have them ready in time. At that time all sizes will be in the online inventory and available only while supplies last. We do this to ensure that participants who register early will be sure to get the shirt size they select during registration. Any race shirts not picked up by the close of packet pick up race morning will be forfeited and available to swap sizes or for those who may not have had shirt inventory available at the time they registered.



5K and Scramble 10K are gun start with a chip-timed finish. (no timing mats at the races' starts) with results available on site and texted or emailed to you if you opt in during your registration.

5K AND 10K OVERALL AND CATEGORY AWARDS: Overall, Masters (40+), Grandmasters (50+), Senior Grandmasters (60+), Veteran Grandmasters (70+) and Youth Overall (14 & under)

* 5K AGE GROUP AWARDS: 3-deep in 9 & under, 10-12, 13-14 and 5-year increments 15-19 to 90 & over
* SCRAMBLE 10K AGE GROUP AWARDS: 3-deep 14 & under and 5-year increments 15-19 to 80 & over.

Races

  • Scrub Jay 5K

    Incl. $3.22 Fee & Performance Tech Shirt

    Sat 24th January 2026 (8:00AM EST)

    $40.22

    OPENS 25 JUN
  • Scramble 10K

    Incl. $3.22 Fee & Performance Tech Shirt

    Sat 24th January 2026 (8:00AM EST)

    $40.22

    OPENS 25 JUN
    Scramble 10K course, all trails, deep into the park including some of the newest trails and through habitat with restoration in progress.
  • Virtual Scrub Jay 5K

    Incl. $3.82 Fee & Performance Tech Shirt

    $50.82

    OPENS 24 JUN
  • Virtual Scrub Jay 10K

    Incl. $3.82 Fee & Performance Tech Shirt

    $50.82

    OPENS 24 JUN

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Location

Oscar Scherer State Park, 1843 S Tamiami Trail, Osprey, 34229, FL, United States

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