Fri, Jan 1, 2027

Cheers to New Year's 5k Run/Walk

Itasca, IL

Registration openAnnual since at least 2018

Entry is $25 now and rises to $30 after Oct 9, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Cheers to New Year's 5k Run/Walk

This New Year's Day race starts and finishes at Church Street Brewing Company, so the post-race destination is built right into the course. The route runs along a path near the brewery, and the whole morning has a holiday-morning feel, with people running off the previous night or just showing up for the beer afterward.

Packet pickup opens race morning, so no need to come out the day before. Parking fills fast near the brewery, and attendants direct traffic as the lots reach capacity, so arriving early or being ready to walk a bit from a farther spot is worth planning for.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2026 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.

3.1 Miles · 2026 results

431finishers

18:23winner

35:38median

1:09:53cutoff

Top 3: Phillip Howell (18:23) · Sebastian Ramirez Wiener (19:08) · Zachary Novitske (19:49)

1 Miles · 2026 results

34finishers

8:12winner

14:42median

24:01cutoff

Top 3: K. Moore (8:12) · Heather Montague (8:54) · Ashley Peter (10:00)

The Cheers to New Year's 5k Run/Walk 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 3.1 Miles 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 Miles1/1/2027 10:00$25

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Common Questions About the Cheers to New Year's 5k Run/Walk

Will I finish last at the Cheers to New Year's 5k Run/Walk?

Almost certainly not. Half the 3.1 Miles field finished slower than 35:38, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:09:53, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Cheers to New Year's 5k Run/Walk a good first 3.1 Miles?

A field of 431 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 3.1 Miles, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Cheers to New Year's 5k Run/Walk?

The 3.1 Miles winner ran 18:23 while the median finisher took 35:38. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.