Sun, Mar 7, 2027

Hot Chocolate 5K

Stevensville, MD

Registration openAnnual since at least 2021

Entry is $30 now and rises to $40 after Sep 13, 2026, so registering before then saves $10.

About the Hot Chocolate 5K

The course runs along the Cross Island Trail out of an elementary school, so the surroundings are open and natural rather than urban. It is a winter race by design, and the cold is part of the point. Dogs are welcome on the course, which changes the feel of the start line considerably.

Packet pickup is in the school cafeteria on race morning, which means you are inside and warm before the gun goes off. Hot chocolate waits at the finish line. Age group awards follow the run, and walkers compete in their own division with awards for the top finishers.

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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

247finishers

17:55winner

35:51median

1:11:08cutoff

Top 3: Jaden Kendall (17:55) · Martin Shpuntoff (18:41) · Kaitlyn Govatos (19:29)

The Hot Chocolate 5K has been held every year since at least 2021. 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

5K3/7/2027 09:00$30

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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Where to Stay

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Common Questions About the Hot Chocolate 5K

Will I finish last at the Hot Chocolate 5K?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 35:51, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:11:08, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Hot Chocolate 5K a good first 5K?

A field of 247 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 Hot Chocolate 5K?

The 5K winner ran 17:55 while the median finisher took 35:51. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.