Laura Taylor warms up by jogging on Park Street before the Rock'N Race in back of the State House on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. GEOFF FORESTER / For the Monitor

Runners sprawled around the State House, lacing up their shoes, exchanging smiles and gathering motivation for the five-kilometer benefit run that’s become one of spring’s most anticipated events in Concord.

Undeterred by a dim Wednesday of drizzling rain, they coursed around New Hampshire Hospital and Concord High School, carried by the current back toward North Main Street, where the 24th annual Rock’N Race enlivened downtown for the evening.

Along the course, live music lifted spirits and set an energetic pace.

The event, which draws numerous runners and walkers every year, raised funds to support cancer patients and their families through the Concord Hospital Payson Center for Cancer Care HOPE Resource Center.

Rock’N Race committee members Pat Bourgault and Jeremiah Gould run between the tents and the raindrops as they prepare for the race at the State House grounds on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. Bourgault was a committee member at the first Rock’N Race back in 2023. GEOFF FORESTER / For the Monitor

Rebeca Pereira is the news editor at the Concord Monitor. She reports on farming, food insecurity, animal welfare and the towns of Canterbury, Tilton and Northfield. Reach her at rpereira@cmonitor.com