Sat, Oct 17, 2026

Going The Distance for the Salvation Army

Urbana, IL

Registration openAnnual since at least 2025

Entry is $15 now and rises to $20 after Oct 17, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Going The Distance for the Salvation Army

The course runs through the Main Quad at the University of Illinois campus, starting and finishing between two campus buildings. It is a flat, open route through the heart of campus, with restrooms available in the Foreign Languages Building nearby. The race benefits the Salvation Army, and there is also an option to donate without running.

Check-in opens well before the start and is set up on the quad near Foellinger Auditorium. Parking is shown on the course map available from the organizer. The start and finish are in the same spot, so it is easy to orient yourself before the gun goes off.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 results, this is a small, friendly field, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.

5K · 2025 results

86finishers

18:55winner

29:28median

52:47cutoff

Top 3: Nathan Szymanski (18:55) · Eric Villalobos (20:35) · Nicholas Delgado (20:45)

The Going The Distance for the Salvation Army 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 10, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

5K10/17/2026 09:00$15

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Common Questions About the Going The Distance for the Salvation Army

Will I finish last at the Going The Distance for the Salvation Army?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 29:28, and the last recorded finisher came in around 52:47, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Going The Distance for the Salvation Army a good first 5K?

It is a small race (86 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 Going The Distance for the Salvation Army?

The 5K winner ran 18:55 while the median finisher took 29:28. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.