Sun, Dec 6, 2026

Legendary Lights 5K - 10K - Kids Run

Clifton, OH

Opens Sep 25, 2026Annual since at least 2025

5K10K700m

Entry is $30 now and rises to $35 after Oct 31, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Legendary Lights 5K - 10K - Kids Run

The course starts at the Clifton Shelter House, heads north on Clay Street, and pushes out into the countryside before turning back. The real draw is the setting: the historic Clifton Mill is covered in an enormous display of lights, wrapping the mill, the gorge, the riverbanks, the trees, and the bridges in color. Running through it at night is something else entirely.

Hot chocolate and donuts are at the finish. Race registration also gets you into the nightly lights show and Christmas Village on any evening during the season, so you can come back on a quieter night if you want a longer look. The Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve is a short walk from the mill and worth the detour before or after the race.

Free race emails

Get the Weekly RunSesh

In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Clifton on your radar: a Monday look ahead and a Thursday rundown of the weekend's races.

Two helpful emails per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 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 · 2025 results

114finishers

18:37winner

37:49median

1:01:59cutoff

Top 3: Nicholas Scaggs (18:37) · W. Overley (19:51) · Merek Mumm (20:21)

The Legendary Lights 5K - 10K - Kids Run has been held every year since at least 2025. 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 22, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

5K12/6/2026 16:00$30

10K12/6/2026 16:00$30

700m12/6/2026 15:45Free

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.

Plan Your Trip

Where to Stay

Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around Clifton — pan or zoom to compare what's nearby.

The map is provided by Stay22. If you book through it, RunSesh may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — it never affects the races we list.

Common Questions About the Legendary Lights 5K - 10K - Kids Run

Will I finish last at the Legendary Lights 5K - 10K - Kids Run?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 37:49, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:01:59, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Legendary Lights 5K - 10K - Kids Run a good first 5K?

It is a small race (114 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 Legendary Lights 5K - 10K - Kids Run?

The 5K winner ran 18:37 while the median finisher took 37:49. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.