Fri, Jan 1, 2027

New Year’s Day 5k/10K Hot Chocolate Run 2027

Salisbury, MD

Registration openAnnual since at least 2019

5K10K1 Mile

Entry is $30 now and rises to $35 after Oct 1, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the New Year’s Day 5k/10K Hot Chocolate Run 2027

The course runs crushed gravel trails through Salisbury City Park and around the zoo, near the river. The surface is mostly smooth but has the occasional root or rock, so watch your footing. The terrain is flat, and the park setting keeps things quiet and open, even on a cold New Year's morning.

The race raises funds for a local children's museum founded by families and educators in the area. Hot chocolate from Dunkin' Donuts is waiting at the finish, and overall and age group winners take home oversized mugs.

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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

179finishers

16:45winner

33:50median

57:08cutoff

Top 3: Tyler Muse (16:45) · Jonathan Murphy (17:03) · Rylan George (17:09)

The New Year’s Day 5k/10K Hot Chocolate Run 2027 has been held every year since at least 2019. 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

5K1/1/2027 13:00$30

10K1/1/2027 13:05$40

1 Mile1/1/2027 13:05Free

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

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Common Questions About the New Year’s Day 5k/10K Hot Chocolate Run 2027

Will I finish last at the New Year’s Day 5k/10K Hot Chocolate Run 2027?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 33:50, and the last recorded finisher came in around 57:08, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the New Year’s Day 5k/10K Hot Chocolate Run 2027 a good first 5K?

It is a small race (179 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 New Year’s Day 5k/10K Hot Chocolate Run 2027?

The 5K winner ran 16:45 while the median finisher took 33:50. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.