Sat, Aug 22, 2026

Embrace the Pace

Independence, OH

Registration openAnnual since at least 2025

5K1 Mile0.5 Miles

About the Embrace the Pace

The race starts and finishes at Liberty Playground, where a Kiwanis Pavilion serves as the hub for the morning. The course is paved and flat. Kids' race heats are designed around each participant's mobility needs, and the distance adjusts accordingly, so children who use wheelchairs, walkers, or gait trainers have their own category. Dogs on leash are welcome.

Packet pickup opens the evening before at the same pavilion, with race-morning pickup available as well. After the races wrap up, there is a dance party and a hot dog spread put on by a local autism advocacy organization. Resource tables from partner organizations are set up nearby, and a mobile sensory unit is on site.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 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.

3.1 Miles · 2025 results

127finishers

3:41winner

29:09median

59:41cutoff

Top 3: Quentin Kraft (18:38) · James Bartlett (18:47) · Andy Gruber (20:22)

1 Miles · 2025 results

8finishers

17:03winner

18:37median

21:57cutoff

Top 3: Bradley Patrick (17:03) · Katie Bornstein (18:13) · Lucy Phillips (18:14)

The Embrace the Pace has been held every year since at least 2025. 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 Miles8/22/2026 09:00$35

1 Mile8/22/2026 09:10$35

0.5 Miles8/22/2026 10:15$15

0.5 Miles8/22/2026 10:15$5

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 Embrace the Pace

Will I finish last at the Embrace the Pace?

Almost certainly not. Half the 3.1 Miles field finished slower than 29:09, and the last recorded finisher came in around 59:41, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Embrace the Pace a good first 3.1 Miles?

It is a small race (127 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 Embrace the Pace?

The 3.1 Miles winner ran 3:41 while the median finisher took 29:09. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.