Sat, Sep 12, 2026

Cotton Candy Classic 5K

Knoxville, TN

Registration openAnnual since at least 2018

Entry is $30 now and rises to $40 after Sep 5, 2026, so registering before then saves $10.

About the Cotton Candy Classic 5K

The race takes place inside Chilhowee Park, starting at a circle near the fairgrounds. The course winds through the Tennessee Valley Fair site, so you are running past the kind of scenery you would normally wander through slowly. It reads as a fair-adjacent morning out, not a personal-record course.

Packet pickup is early on race morning, before the start. Parking is free in a lot on Beaman Street, and from there you walk through a tunnel and up a hill to registration.

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Finish-Time Stats

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

3.1 Miles · 2025 results

154finishers

20:21winner

35:36median

1:05:08cutoff

Top 3: Brent Bueche (20:21) · Matthew Minarik (21:17) · Chester Blessing (22:20)

The Cotton Candy Classic 5K 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 Miles9/12/2026 08:00$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.

Plan Your Trip

Where to Stay

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Common Questions About the Cotton Candy Classic 5K

Will I finish last at the Cotton Candy Classic 5K?

Almost certainly not. Half the 3.1 Miles field finished slower than 35:36, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:05:08, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Cotton Candy Classic 5K a good first 3.1 Miles?

It is a small race (154 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 3.1 Miles, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Cotton Candy Classic 5K?

The 3.1 Miles winner ran 20:21 while the median finisher took 35:36. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.