Sat, Aug 7, 2027
Owensboro, KY
This is an obstacle course race held at Diamond Lake Resort, with mud, water crossings, rope climbs, and barbed wire spread across the course. Several formats are available, from a straight trail run to a full obstacle gauntlet, and there are youth divisions for younger kids as well as an elite category for those racing hard. Proceeds support MentorKids Kentucky, a local nonprofit.
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Going by the 2026 results, this is a small, friendly field, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.
Top 3: Ethan Wellmeier (35:27) · Hayden Glover (35:36) · Deakin Lindgren (38:15)
Top 3: Brian Neltner (57:44) · Reagan Leach (1:07:30) · Cayden Greer (1:10:20)
The MKK's Rugged Race 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.
Enter a finish time to see where it lands against the most recent 5K 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 Oct 25, 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.
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Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 1:04:14, and the last recorded finisher came in around 3:44:33, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.
A field of 223 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.
The 5K winner ran 35:27 while the median finisher took 1:04:14. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.
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