Sat, Sep 12, 2026

Beat the Blerch

Carnation, WA

Registration openAnnual since at least 2015

5K10KHalf MarathonMarathon

About the Beat the Blerch

The course runs out and back through evergreen forest along a river valley trail, with mossy trees closing in on both sides. It starts at a county park, and the terrain is flat the whole way, which makes it runnable at almost any pace. The race itself grew out of a webcomic about the mental side of running, and that origin shapes the atmosphere.

Near the start, there are strawberry farms and pumpkin patches that offer walking tours, so there is something to wander through after you finish.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 results, this is a decent-sized field, and the spread of finish times is wide, so this is a mostly recreational race rather than one for club runners.

10K · 2025 results

632finishers

31:45winner

1:14:33median

2:37:45cutoff

Top 3: Miler Haller (31:45) · Cole Johnson (39:09) · Joshua Dawson (39:41)

3.1 Miles · 2025 results

487finishers

17:18winner

41:41median

1:48:53cutoff

Top 3: Ivan Levy (17:18) · Charlie James (17:48) · Thomas Nystrand (19:07)

13.1 Miles · 2025 results

335finishers

1:08:37winner

2:19:10median

4:12:06cutoff

Top 3: Andrew Oslin (1:08:37) · Jonathan Aispuro (1:21:58) · Dave Mckay (1:25:00)

26.2 Miles · 2025 results

64finishers

2:59:35winner

4:51:54median

8:11:27cutoff

Top 3: Kyle McCoy (2:59:35) · Megan Romesberg (3:26:21) · Brian OConnor (3:30:35)

The Beat the Blerch has been held every year since at least 2015. 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 10K 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

3.1 Miles9/12/2026 12:00$40

10K9/12/2026 09:30$60

13.1 Miles9/12/2026 09:00$85

26.2 Miles9/12/2026 08:00$120

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Common Questions About the Beat the Blerch

Will I finish last at the Beat the Blerch?

Almost certainly not. Half the 10K field finished slower than 1:14:33, and the last recorded finisher came in around 2:37:45, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Beat the Blerch a good first 10K?

A field of 632 is big enough that you will have company at your pace without feeling lost in a crowd. There is no qualifying time, and the finish-time spread above shows how varied the field really is. If it is your first 10K, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Beat the Blerch?

The 10K winner ran 31:45 while the median finisher took 1:14:33. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.