Sat, Jul 3, 2027

Gene Bednarowski Memorial and Cherry Run

Watervliet, MI

Opens Mar 1, 2027Annual since at least 2025

5K10K1 Mile

About the Gene Bednarowski Memorial and Cherry Run

The course runs through neighborhood streets, along Paw Paw Lake, and into downtown Watervliet. The route honors a former local teacher and coach, and proceeds go to the Watervliet Track and Field Program. It connects to a regional race series, so you may see participants chasing series standings alongside those just there for the holiday weekend.

Packet pickup is the evening before at the high school cafeteria, with race-morning pickup also available at the start area near Plymouth Congregational Church. The race is timed, and awards go to overall and age group leaders across the distance options.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2026 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 · 2026 results

168finishers

16:03winner

34:50median

1:40:00cutoff

Top 3: Joey Carroll (16:03) · Elias Baldwin (16:39) · Jacob Schroeder (17:54)

10K · 2026 results

36finishers

34:50winner

53:45median

1:43:06cutoff

Top 3: Christopher Vogt (34:50) · Lorenzo Martinez (36:17) · Trap Abbott (37:54)

The Gene Bednarowski Memorial and Cherry Run 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 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 22, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

5K7/3/2027 08:20$35

10K7/3/2027 08:20$35

1 Mile7/3/2027 08:00$15

5K7/3/2027 08:00$35

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Common Questions About the Gene Bednarowski Memorial and Cherry Run

Will I finish last at the Gene Bednarowski Memorial and Cherry Run?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 34:50, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:40:00, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Gene Bednarowski Memorial and Cherry Run a good first 5K?

It is a small race (168 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 Gene Bednarowski Memorial and Cherry Run?

The 5K winner ran 16:03 while the median finisher took 34:50. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.