Sat, Dec 19, 2026

Big Dog Jingle

Columbus, GA

Registration openAnnual since at least 2015

Entry is $30 now and rises to $35 after Dec 5, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Big Dog Jingle

The Big Dog Jingle is a holiday-themed road race that starts and finishes outside a local running store in Columbus. The course is a road five-kilometer, and the race benefits Girls Inc., so there is a charitable thread running through the morning alongside the seasonal spirit. Age group and masters awards give competitive runners something to race toward.

Packet pickup runs the afternoon before at that same running store, which makes the morning itself fairly straightforward. Race-day registration opens early, well before the gun, so late deciders are not shut out.

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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.

5K · 2025 results

442finishers

16:13winner

32:21median

1:05:36cutoff

Top 3: Andrew McGinnis (16:13) · Andrew McGowan (16:50) · Bradley Brooks (17:01)

The Big Dog Jingle 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 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

5K12/19/2026 09:00$30

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 Big Dog Jingle

Will I finish last at the Big Dog Jingle?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 32:21, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:05:36, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Big Dog Jingle a good first 5K?

A field of 442 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 5K, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Big Dog Jingle?

The 5K winner ran 16:13 while the median finisher took 32:21. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.