Sat, Sep 19, 2026

Arc Run

Meriden, CT

Registration openAnnual since at least 2018

10K5K

About the Arc Run

The course is USATF-certified and runs through parts of Meriden and Wallingford, which means it qualifies for marathon-seeding purposes. It starts and finishes at the same address, so there is no one-way logistics to sort out. The race raises money for a disability services organization with deep ties to both towns, and that mission is visible in how the event is framed.

On race morning, check-in opens before the start, and an opening ceremony runs just ahead of the gun. A vendor fair fills the area around the same time, so the finish-line scene has some activity beyond just runners coming in. Cash prizes go to the top finishers, and everyone who registers is automatically entered into a raffle drawn at the awards ceremony.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 results, this is a small, friendly field, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.

5K · 2025 results

47finishers

16:28winner

29:21median

55:47cutoff

Top 3: Tighe Duggan (16:28) · Stephen Fengler (17:25) · Elizabeth Fengler (18:46)

10K · 2025 results

42finishers

33:23winner

51:23median

1:37:28cutoff

Top 3: William Sanders (33:23) · Jake Cohen (35:14) · Joe Decker (36:38)

The Arc Run has been held every year since at least 2018. That is as far back as RunSignup's records for this race go, so it may well be older.

Where Would You Finish?

Enter a finish time to see where it lands against the most recent 5K results.

Median

See how your time stacks up nationally →

How we calculate these stats: RunSesh calculates these figures from the most recent published results of past editions, sourced from RunSignup. We show aggregates only: field size, winning and median times, and the cutoff. We never publish individual finisher tables. Last updated Jul 27, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

10K9/19/2026 09:15$35

5K9/19/2026 09:15$30

5K9/19/2026 09:15$20

Going for a Time?

Set a goal and get a pace band: every mile split on a card sized for your phone lock screen, so race morning needs no math.

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Common Questions About the Arc Run

Will I finish last at the Arc Run?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 29:21, and the last recorded finisher came in around 55:47, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Arc Run a good first 5K?

It is a small race (47 finishers), which is friendlier and less intimidating than a big-city event, though the field thins out. There is no qualifying time, and the finish-time spread above shows how varied the field really is. If it is your first 5K, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Arc Run?

The 5K winner ran 16:28 while the median finisher took 29:21. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.