Sun, Oct 4, 2026

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Future for Wildlife 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Walk

Cleveland, OH

Registration openAnnual since at least 2021

5K1 Mile

Entry is $30 now and rises to $35 after Oct 2, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Future for Wildlife 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Walk

The course runs through Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, so the surroundings are not a typical road or trail. You pass animal habitats as you go, which makes the route genuinely different from most city races. The shorter distance option is a walk, and the longer course is runnable throughout. Spectators need to buy zoo entry tickets separately to get in.

Packet pickup opens early on race morning at the zoo. After finishing, there is a post-race spread on site, and your entry includes zoo admission for the day, so most people stay to walk around after. Dogs are not permitted.

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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

426finishers

16:54winner

33:46median

1:09:03cutoff

Top 3: Ben Colonius (16:54) · Sammy Heiser (17:52) · Jacob Fakult (17:59)

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Future for Wildlife 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Walk has been held every year since at least 2021. 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

5K10/4/2026 08:30$30

1 Mile10/4/2026 09:00$30

Going for a Time?

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Common Questions About the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Future for Wildlife 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Walk

Will I finish last at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Future for Wildlife 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Walk?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 33:46, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:09:03, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Future for Wildlife 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Walk a good first 5K?

A field of 426 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 Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Future for Wildlife 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Walk?

The 5K winner ran 16:54 while the median finisher took 33:46. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.