Sat, Jul 10, 2027

Lookin' for a Cure Palo Alto

Palo Alto, CA

Registration openAnnual since at least 2018
5K

Entry is $35 now and rises to $45 after Jun 4, 2027, so registering before then saves $10.

Register Results

About the Lookin' for a Cure Palo Alto

The course runs through the area around the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford, and the race draws a crowd that includes Ocular Melanoma survivors, their families, and medical staff from the institute itself. That mix gives the morning a personal weight that most local road races do not have. The route is open to runners and walkers alike.

Packet pickup is the evening before at a running store in San Carlos, with the race itself starting from the Byers Eye Institute. Parking is free in the institute lot, at the corner of Embarcadero Road and Bayshore Road, so arriving early is straightforward.

Free race emails

Get the Weekly RunSesh

Get races near Palo Alto in your inbox. Every Monday we send the races coming up, and every Thursday we send the ones happening that weekend.

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

Lookin' for a Cure Palo Alto 2026 Results

Going by the 2026 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 · 2026

401finishers
16:19winner
40:06median
1:28:50cutoff

Top 3: Nicholas Thompson (16:19) · Jono Sison (17:31) · K. Chin (18:02)

The Lookin' for a Cure Palo Alto has been held every year since at least 2018. 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 Nov 12, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

5K7/10/2027 08:00$35
5K7/10/2027 08:00$40

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

Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around Palo Alto — 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 Lookin' for a Cure Palo Alto

Will I finish last at the Lookin' for a Cure Palo Alto?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 40:06, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:28:50, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Lookin' for a Cure Palo Alto a good first 5K?

A field of 401 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 Lookin' for a Cure Palo Alto?

The 5K winner ran 16:19 while the median finisher took 40:06. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.

Share Your Card

We made you a ready-to-post image. Story fits Instagram and TikTok Stories; Post fits the feed. Download it, post it, and tag @runsesh so we can cheer you on.

Preview of your share card

Want more races like this delivered straight to your inbox?

Free race emails

Get the Weekly RunSesh

Get races near Palo Alto in your inbox. Every Monday we send the races coming up, and every Thursday we send the ones happening that weekend.

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