Sat, Oct 31, 2026

Fast Before the Feast 5K

Newport News, VA

Registration openAnnual since at least 2015

Entry is $35 now and rises to $45 after Oct 30, 2026, so registering before then saves $10.

About the Fast Before the Feast 5K

The course runs out and back through Mariners' Museum Park, on roads that wind through the park grounds. It is a Thanksgiving morning race, so expect a crowd in holiday spirits but focused enough to move. The route is straightforward, with no surprises in the terrain, and the proceeds go to the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank.

Packet pickup is a drive-through the day before at the museum, and the organizers push hard for everyone to use it. Note that the start line is at a separate location from pickup, so confirm where you are headed before race morning. Registration closes before race day, so sort that out early.

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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

745finishers

17:04winner

36:14median

1:08:23cutoff

Top 3: Nate Cochran (17:04) · Benjamin Perry (17:26) · James Creelman (17:36)

The Fast Before the Feast 5K has been held every year since at least 2015. 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 Sep 10, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

5K11/26/2026 08:30$35

5K10/31/2026 08:30$35

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 Fast Before the Feast 5K

Will I finish last at the Fast Before the Feast 5K?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 36:14, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:08:23, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Fast Before the Feast 5K a good first 5K?

A field of 745 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 Fast Before the Feast 5K?

The 5K winner ran 17:04 while the median finisher took 36:14. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.