Sat, Oct 3, 2026

Every Step Counts Autism Walk & 5K Run

Ellicott City, MD

Registration openAnnual since at least 2020

5K4K1K

Entry is $35 now and rises to $40 after Oct 2, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Every Step Counts Autism Walk & 5K Run

The course follows a paved trail around Centennial Lake, circling it in a clockwise direction. Expect mostly gentle terrain with a few rolling stretches and a couple of points where the hill gets genuinely steep. Wildlife is common along the water's edge, and the park draws picnickers and boaters on the same morning, so the atmosphere is busy in a park-on-a-weekend kind of way.

Packet pickup happens at the organizing office in Columbia on two days before the event, with race-morning pickup available at Centennial Park South as well. There is a full event village at the start and finish, with inflatables, performers, and refreshments. Restrooms are near the start and again partway around the course.

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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.

5K · 2025 results

151finishers

17:44winner

36:01median

1:06:27cutoff

Top 3: Nikolas Allen (17:44) · Ryan Thibaudeau (18:37) · Tristan Whitaker (18:40)

The Every Step Counts Autism Walk & 5K Run has been held every year since at least 2020. 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

5K10/3/2026 10:00$35

4K10/3/2026 10:05$25

1K10/3/2026 10:10$25

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

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Common Questions About the Every Step Counts Autism Walk & 5K Run

Will I finish last at the Every Step Counts Autism Walk & 5K Run?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 36:01, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:06:27, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Every Step Counts Autism Walk & 5K Run a good first 5K?

It is a small race (151 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 5K, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Every Step Counts Autism Walk & 5K Run?

The 5K winner ran 17:44 while the median finisher took 36:01. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.