Sat, Oct 31, 2026

Hermes Dead Sprint

Cleveland, OH

Registration openAnnual since at least 2019

5K30 Yards

Entry is $35 now and rises to $40 after Oct 17, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Hermes Dead Sprint

The course runs through the Flats and out to Whiskey Island, so you get water on both sides for stretches of it. It is flat industrial waterfront, mostly pavement, with a Halloween costume crowd around you the whole way. A kids' candy dash goes off just before the main race, and the start area has that slightly chaotic, everyone-in-a-skeleton-suit energy.

The post-race party moves directly into McCarthy's Downtown, the bar on Main Ave that also hosts early packet pickup the evening before. Dogs are welcome at the event outside, though they stay on the sidewalk when the humans go in for the party.

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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

274finishers

18:31winner

31:31median

1:00:10cutoff

Top 3: Joe Hoover (18:31) · Aubrey Schroeder (18:48) · Jonathan Zappala (19:20)

The Hermes Dead Sprint has been held every year since at least 2019. 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

5K10/31/2026 09:00$35

30 Yards10/31/2026 08:45$15

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.

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Common Questions About the Hermes Dead Sprint

Will I finish last at the Hermes Dead Sprint?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 31:31, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:00:10, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Hermes Dead Sprint a good first 5K?

A field of 274 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 Hermes Dead Sprint?

The 5K winner ran 18:31 while the median finisher took 31:31. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.