Sat, Mar 6, 2027

Gateway to Space

Kennedy Space Center, FL

Registration openAnnual since at least 2020

5K10K

Entry is $60 now and rises to $75 after Dec 31, 2026, so registering before then saves $15.

About the Gateway to Space

The course runs on the actual launch and landing facility runway at Kennedy Space Center, which means you are racing on a strip of pavement built for space shuttles. The surface is wide and flat, the surroundings are open sky in every direction, and there is nothing else in the country that looks like it.

Runners gather at the Visitor Complex early in the morning, then board buses out to the runway for the start. Packet pickup is available at the Visitor Complex on race morning before the buses depart, with earlier pickup options in the days before.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2026 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 · 2026 results

570finishers

19:02winner

49:28median

2:00:06cutoff

Top 3: David Lopez (19:02) · Nils Kuehn (19:16) · David Chen (19:29)

10K · 2026 results

258finishers

38:23winner

1:10:02median

2:01:53cutoff

Top 3: Alexander Shoemaker (38:23) · Lee Kolias (39:53) · Andrew Bateh (40:15)

The Gateway to Space 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

5K3/6/2027 08:00$60

10K3/6/2027 08:00$70

5K3/6/2027 06:00$50

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 Gateway to Space

Will I finish last at the Gateway to Space?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 49:28, and the last recorded finisher came in around 2:00:06, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Gateway to Space a good first 5K?

A field of 570 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 Gateway to Space?

The 5K winner ran 19:02 while the median finisher took 49:28. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.