Fri, Dec 18, 2026

Light Garden Charity 5K

Olive Branch, MS

Registration openAnnual since at least 2023

Entry is $25 now and rises to $28 after Dec 7, 2026, so registering before then saves $3.

About the Light Garden Charity 5K

The race runs through a light garden show inside a city park, so the course itself is the display. The route is marked by the show's entrance and finish line area, which means spectators waiting at the end are already inside the park, gathered near the lights.

Packet pickup is at the light garden entrance gate on race day, before the start. Your bib doubles as admission to the park, so guests without bibs will need to purchase a ticket separately and can wait near the finish. The park entrance is off College Street, accessed from the highway next to a Piggly Wiggly.

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Light Garden Charity 5K 2025 Results

Going by the 2025 results, this is a decent-sized field, and the spread of finish times is wide, so this is a mostly recreational race rather than one for club runners.

5K Results · 2025

344finishers

16:41winner

34:07median

1:05:54cutoff

Top 3: Preston Mundy (16:41) · Aaron Richardson (17:56) · Sean Cummings (18:15)

The Light Garden Charity 5K has been held every year since at least 2023. 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 3.1 Miles 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 Nov 12, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

3.1 Miles12/18/2026 17:30$25

3.1 Miles12/18/2026 17:30Free

3.1 Miles12/18/2026 17:30$28

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.

Not sure what to aim for? The 5K pace chart lists the pace for every finish time.

Plan Your Trip

Where to Stay

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Common Questions About the Light Garden Charity 5K

Will I finish last at the Light Garden Charity 5K?

Almost certainly not. Half the 3.1 Miles field finished slower than 34:07, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:05:54, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Light Garden Charity 5K a good first 3.1 Miles?

A field of 344 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 3.1 Miles, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Light Garden Charity 5K?

The 3.1 Miles winner ran 16:41 while the median finisher took 34:07. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.

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