Sat, May 8, 2027

Back the Blue 5K & 1 Mile

Westminster, SC

Opens Nov 3, 2026Annual since at least 2026

5K1 Mile

About the Back the Blue 5K & 1 Mile

The course winds through downtown Westminster, passing the city's oldest church and historic neighborhoods before finishing near Veteran's Park. The route is a genuine tour of the older parts of town, and the finish area sits right in the middle of it all, so there is a real sense of place by the time you are done.

The race benefits the Westminster Police Foundation, and the post-race gathering is put on by the city itself, so the finish line has a civic feel rather than a generic race-expo one. Food and celebration are part of the plan, not an afterthought.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2026 results, this is a small, friendly field, and the spread of finish times is wide, so this is a mostly recreational race rather than one for club runners.

5K · 2026 results

113finishers

19:07winner

37:53median

1:07:28cutoff

Top 3: Cory Tate (19:07) · Daniel Smith (20:13) · Matthew Barker (21:19)

The Back the Blue 5K & 1 Mile has been held every year since at least 2026. 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 Sep 22, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

5K5/8/2027 08:30$25

1 Mile5/8/2027 08:00$10

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.

Plan Your Trip

Where to Stay

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Common Questions About the Back the Blue 5K & 1 Mile

Will I finish last at the Back the Blue 5K & 1 Mile?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 37:53, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:07:28, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Back the Blue 5K & 1 Mile a good first 5K?

It is a small race (113 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 Back the Blue 5K & 1 Mile?

The 5K winner ran 19:07 while the median finisher took 37:53. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.