Overview North Shore RunFest is a Sunday-morning 8K and 5K through downtown Salem, Massachusetts, that finishes in a block party pouring Notch Brewing beer, and the 8K is a USATF New England Grand Prix championship race, so the region's fastest runners and biggest clubs line up with people running for fun. Hedon Events puts it on as a benefit for Girls on the Run. On site Start and finish sit at 283R Derby Street, and the 8K goes off at 9 a.m. sharp. After the race the street turns into the fest: vendor tents, food trucks, live music from a local band and cold Notch beer, with non-alcoholic beer and soft drinks for sale too. In 2026 every bib came with two beverage tickets. Runners can pick up bibs early on the Friday and Saturday before at Marathon Sports on Paradise Road in Salem, and the race points people to the MBTA Commuter Rail rather than parking downtown. Audience The field is mostly local. The organizers' forecast has 87% of runners from Massachusetts and 11% from the rest of New England. The Grand Prix designation brings some of New England's biggest running clubs, and a USATF prize purse pays the fastest runners, age-group winners and teams. Everyone else runs for the party: festival-only tickets let non-running friends join them at the finish. Track record Results are posted for the 2024, 2025 and 2026 races, and USATF New England kept the 8K on its Grand Prix calendar in 2026, one of six championship events in the series. The organizers keep an email list of more than 10,000 past finishers. Brand presence In 2026 the race ran as the North Shore RunFest 8K Presented by NorthShore, the race flyer carried Marathon Sports as presenting partner, and Notch Brewing poured the beer. Below the naming partner, mile partners put their brand on a mile marker along the course and get a dedicated email and race entries. Category partners hold exclusivity in their industry, a booth and signage at the post-race fest, shout-outs from the fest announcer and a spot in runners' race packs, and standard partners appear across the website, social and email.