Sat, May 1, 2027

Mental Health Matters 5K and Fun Run

Fredericksburg, VA

Registration openAnnual since at least 2026

5K800m

About the Mental Health Matters 5K and Fun Run

This race is tied to Mental Health Awareness Month and benefits student well-being programs and educator support within local public schools. The Stafford Education Foundation organizes it, and students run at no charge. The pace of the field skews toward families and casual movers as much as anyone chasing a personal best.

Beyond the cause, the morning is built around participation. The event pairs a 5K with a shorter fun run option, so people show up across a wide range of intentions, from a brisk run to a slow walk with kids in tow.

Free race emails

Get the Weekly RunSesh

In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Fredericksburg 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 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

115finishers

17:34winner

42:03median

1:05:24cutoff

Top 3: Sullivan Smith (17:34) · Mark Hopely (18:04) · Serena Burla (18:15)

The Mental Health Matters 5K and Fun Run has been held every year since at least 2026. 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 Jul 27, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

5K5/1/2027 08:45$35

800m5/1/2027 08:30Free

5K5/1/2027 08:45Free

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 Fredericksburg — 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 Mental Health Matters 5K and Fun Run

Will I finish last at the Mental Health Matters 5K and Fun Run?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 42:03, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:05:24, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Mental Health Matters 5K and Fun Run a good first 5K?

It is a small race (115 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 Mental Health Matters 5K and Fun Run?

The 5K winner ran 17:34 while the median finisher took 42:03. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.