Sat, Nov 21, 2026

Hit The Road, Jack!

Carthage, MO

Registration openAnnual since at least 2024

5K10K25K50K

Entry is $25 now and rises to $30 after Sep 1, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Hit The Road, Jack!

The Ruby Jack Trail runs flat and shaded through Carthage, and every distance here follows it as an out-and-back. The surface is fast underfoot, and the shade keeps things manageable even late in the season. The longest distance serves as the RRCA state championship, with cash prizes on the line, so the front of that field is serious racing.

After finishing, there is a BBQ vendor, coffee, and snacks on site, along with live music and free race photos. The organizers ask you to bring your own chair, which tells you something about how the post-race tends to go.

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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

35finishers

20:17winner

30:41median

54:33cutoff

Top 3: C. Gaddis (20:17) · Ivan Moreira (23:35) · Miranda Clark-Selby (24:31)

15K · 2025 results

22finishers

1:06:44winner

1:38:34median

2:15:22cutoff

Top 3: Henri Coeme (1:06:44) · Tom Blazi (1:07:45) · John Atteberry (1:09:41)

10K · 2025 results

18finishers

48:56winner

1:09:47median

1:59:32cutoff

Top 3: Justin Gaddis · Andrew McGinty (48:56) · Benjamin Sawyer (53:01)

30K · 2025 results

16finishers

2:26:45winner

3:06:43median

3:49:53cutoff

Top 3: Katie Smith (2:26:45) · Luke Snavely (2:37:04) · Liz Cox (2:42:25)

The Hit The Road, Jack! has been held every year since at least 2024. 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

5K11/21/2026 09:00$25

10K11/21/2026 09:00$30

25K11/21/2026 08:00$40

50K11/21/2026 08:00$45

Virtual Run11/21/2026 00:00$50

Going for a Time?

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Common Questions About the Hit The Road, Jack!

Will I finish last at the Hit The Road, Jack!?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 30:41, and the last recorded finisher came in around 54:33, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Hit The Road, Jack! a good first 5K?

It is a small race (35 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 Hit The Road, Jack!?

The 5K winner ran 20:17 while the median finisher took 30:41. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.