Sun, Oct 4, 2026
Albuquerque, NM
Entry is $70 now and rises to $85 after Jul 30, 2026, so registering before then saves $15.
The course runs beneath open sky near the Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande River Valley, with hot air balloons potentially drifting overhead depending on conditions that morning. The terrain and surroundings lean scenic rather than technical, the kind of wide-open landscape that keeps your eyes off your feet. Several distance options mean the start area draws a broad mix of paces.
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Going by the 2025 results, this is a decent-sized field, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.
13.1 Miles · 2025 results
Top 3: Samuel Long (1:24:36) · Derek Schanze (1:27:16) · Anthony Fleg (1:28:29)
5K · 2025 results
Top 3: Joshua Nichols (21:31) · Michael Gonzales (22:06) · Daniel Coss (22:31)
10K · 2025 results
Top 3: Tom Whalen (43:02) · Daniel Fraser (43:55) · Emiliano Quintana (45:34)
The Great Balloon Chase 5K, 10K & 1/2 Marathon has been held every year since at least 2018. That is as far back as RunSignup's records for this race go, so it may well be older.
Enter a finish time to see where it lands against the most recent 13.1 Miles results.
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.
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Almost certainly not. Half the 13.1 Miles field finished slower than 2:23:37, and the last recorded finisher came in around 4:07:10, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.
A field of 467 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 13.1 Miles, that spread matters more than the winner's time.
The 13.1 Miles winner ran 1:22:25 while the median finisher took 2:23:37. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.
