Sun, Sep 27, 2026

Mountain State Forest Festival 10K and 5K Run/Walk

Elkins, WV

Registration openAnnual since at least 2022

10K5K

Entry is $20 now and rises to $25 after Sep 20, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Mountain State Forest Festival 10K and 5K Run/Walk

The run is part of a long-running autumn festival that fills downtown Elkins with parades, live music, a lumberjack competition, and a coronation ceremony. The start and finish are at a downtown street corner, so the course puts you right in the middle of the festival grounds. The Pump-n-Run adds a weightlifting component before the running portion, and this year the shorter distance gets a color run option.

Registration for the Pump-n-Run opens at a gym in town, while the main run registration opens later at the local YMCA. The kids' mile is free and registers on site the day of the event. Trophies go to the top overall finishers and to age-group leaders across all events.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 results, this is a small, friendly field, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.

5K · 2025 results

92finishers

17:40winner

32:08median

56:44cutoff

Top 3: Jason Pyles (17:40) · Gavin Brown (18:12) · Dylan Fortney (18:16)

10K · 2025 results

36finishers

34:06winner

1:04:06median

1:37:40cutoff

Top 3: Jackson Gibson (34:06) · Morgan Hill (37:23) · Nathaniel Linger (46:32)

The Mountain State Forest Festival 10K and 5K Run/Walk has been held every year since at least 2022. 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 10, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

10K9/27/2026 12:30$20

5K9/27/2026 12:30$20

5K9/27/2026 07:30$20

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Common Questions About the Mountain State Forest Festival 10K and 5K Run/Walk

Will I finish last at the Mountain State Forest Festival 10K and 5K Run/Walk?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 32:08, and the last recorded finisher came in around 56:44, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Mountain State Forest Festival 10K and 5K Run/Walk a good first 5K?

It is a small race (92 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 Mountain State Forest Festival 10K and 5K Run/Walk?

The 5K winner ran 17:40 while the median finisher took 32:08. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.