Sat, Sep 26, 2026

Colin's Joy Project 5K

Boston, MA

Registration openAnnual since at least 2023

5K100m0.5 Miles

About the Colin's Joy Project 5K

The course runs along Day Boulevard, hugging the South Boston waterfront past Castle Island and the beaches there. It is flat the whole way, with the water on one side and the city behind you. The race supports Colin's Joy Project, a nonprofit the McGrath family started to build and improve play spaces in the South Boston community.

Bib pickup runs the evening before at a pop-up event, with race-morning registration available as well. Parking is along the adjacent streets and the beach area, and resident restrictions are not in effect on the weekend. Light refreshments, entertainment, and awards follow the race, along with a raffle and a merch pop-up for the organization.

Free race emails

Get the Weekly RunSesh

In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Boston on your radar: a Monday look ahead and a Thursday rundown of the weekend's races.

Two helpful emails per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 results, this is a small, friendly field, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.

5K · 2025 results

282finishers

18:04winner

33:01median

1:05:43cutoff

Top 3: Thomas White (18:04) · Noah Schrank (19:20) · Dan Cleary (19:37)

The Colin's Joy Project 5K has been held every year since at least 2023. 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

5K9/26/2026 09:00$30

100m9/26/2026 08:15$15

0.5 Miles9/26/2026 08:30$15

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.

Plan Your Trip

Where to Stay

Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around Boston — pan or zoom to compare what's nearby.

The map is provided by Stay22. If you book through it, RunSesh may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — it never affects the races we list.

Common Questions About the Colin's Joy Project 5K

Will I finish last at the Colin's Joy Project 5K?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 33:01, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:05:43, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Colin's Joy Project 5K a good first 5K?

A field of 282 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 Colin's Joy Project 5K?

The 5K winner ran 18:04 while the median finisher took 33:01. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.

Where can I train for the Colin's Joy Project 5K?

Join a local run club. Boston Fun Run, Boston Road Runners, Forest Hills Runners and others in Boston welcome runners of all paces, and a weekly group run is the most reliable way to hold a training block together.