Bay Days is being run on the 4th of July for the 36th straight year. The race is named after the nearby Bay Days carnival that hosts rides, food stands, games of chance, and an evening fire-works show. Because of the Fourth of July Holiday, many former residents return from across the country to visit friends and relatives, attend the carnival, and/or participate in the run. Yet, even without prize money, the run remains one of the most competitive 5-milers in the Cleveland area—with winning times consistently in the 24s or low 25s. For the past few years, the event has hosted a team competition for high school team event that attracts not only local cross country squads but soccer and fitness squads.

Some 400 to 600 typically run, wheel, jog, or walk the 5-mile course that is flat and winds through scenic small town streets before finishing on Bay High's track. During the race, 75 to 100 children 14 years and under complete for free in a 1-mile fun. The 1-mile course stays on pea gravel and asphalt paths that loop around the Bay High's athletic fields before it finishes on the track.