Sat, Sep 11, 2027

Brain Freezer 5K

Burlington, VT

Registration openAnnual since at least 2020

Entry is $25 now and rises to $30 after Nov 30, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Brain Freezer 5K

The Brain Freezer 5K runs along a bike path beside Lake Champlain, moving between North Beach and Waterfront Park. The route is flat and paved, with a mid-race stop at Water Works Park where challengers pause to eat a pint of locally made ice cream before finishing out the course. Costume prizes go to the best individual and team looks.

Proceeds benefit People Helping People Global, a Vermont organization that offers interest-free microloans in communities with very little. The ice cream stop is the center of the morning, and the costume competition means plenty of people show up dressed for the occasion rather than the clock.

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Brain Freezer 5K 2026 Results

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 Results · 2026

143finishers

19:03winner

39:44median

1:19:54cutoff

Top 3: Daniel Liguori (19:03) · Teddy Cluver (19:22) · Kenneth Grey (19:25)

The Brain Freezer 5K has been held every year since at least 2020. 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 Oct 25, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

5K9/11/2027 10:00$25

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.

Not sure what to aim for? The 5K pace chart lists the pace for every finish time.

Plan Your Trip

Where to Stay

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Common Questions About the Brain Freezer 5K

Will I finish last at the Brain Freezer 5K?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 39:44, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:19:54, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Brain Freezer 5K a good first 5K?

It is a small race (143 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 Brain Freezer 5K?

The 5K winner ran 19:03 while the median finisher took 39:44. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.