The course runs along Lake Monona, so you are close to the water for most of it. Spring conditions here tend to be cool enough for a strong effort, and the longer distance sits just under a half marathon, which makes it useful for anyone building toward a bigger race later in the season. The shorter option follows the same general area.
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Going by the 2026 results, this is a big field, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.
Top 3: Erick Sanchez-Guayllazaca (1:03:13) · Patrick Brady (1:05:39) · John Judge (1:07:19)
Top 3: Matthew Delagrange (16:58) · Ben Jakabcsin (17:12) · Jonny Tucci (18:01)
The Lake Monona 20K & 5K has been held every year since at least 2016. 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 20K 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 Nov 12, 2026.
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.
Not sure what to aim for? The 5K pace chart lists the pace for every finish time.
Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around Monona — pan or zoom to compare what's nearby.
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Almost certainly not. Half the 20K field finished slower than 1:58:14, and the last recorded finisher came in around 3:27:21, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.
With 1,325 finishers there are runners at every pace, so you are never out on your own. There is no qualifying time, and the finish-time spread above shows how varied the field really is. If it is your first 20K, that spread matters more than the winner's time.
The 20K winner ran 1:03:13 while the median finisher took 1:58:14. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.
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