Sat, Jul 25, 2026

Neon Nights 5K

Saint Leonard, MD

Registration openAnnual since at least 2023

Entry is $45 now and rises to $50 after Jul 31, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Neon Nights 5K

The course runs through Jefferson Patterson Park after dark, lit by black lights and neon rather than daylight. That changes the feel considerably, turning it into something closer to a parade than a time trial. The surrounding grounds are open and grassy, and the post-race area becomes a full festival with food trucks, lawn games, and beer and wine vendors.

Gates close well before the gun, so arriving early matters. The festival area opens well ahead of the start, giving you time to eat and settle in before the race. A DJ dance party runs after the finish. Packet pickup is available at a homeless shelter in Prince Frederick in the days before race day, which keeps the check-in line short on the night itself.

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Finish-Time Stats

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 · 2025 results

460finishers

18:16winner

40:21median

1:36:35cutoff

Top 3: Jake Rupard (18:16) · David Reifsnyder (18:34) · David Johnson (18:49)

The Neon Nights 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 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

5K8/1/2026 19:00$45

5K7/25/2026 00:00$45

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

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Common Questions About the Neon Nights 5K

Will I finish last at the Neon Nights 5K?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 40:21, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:36:35, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Neon Nights 5K a good first 5K?

A field of 460 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 Neon Nights 5K?

The 5K winner ran 18:16 while the median finisher took 40:21. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.