The race takes place after dark at Colt Creek State Park, on unpaved trails that loop through the park. Headlamps are required, so the field moves through the trees at night with lights bobbing ahead and behind. There are a couple of distance options, plus a combined challenge for anyone who wants to run both back to back.
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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: Michael Barton (20:13) · Dowen Thompson (20:35) · Jon Williams (22:02)
Top 3: Michael Barton (43:14) · Laura Thomas (48:48) · Justin Miyano (49:40)
Top 3: Michael Barton (1:03:26) · Brian Velms (1:17:07) · Noah Wilson (1:17:31)
The Nighthawk Trail Run - Night Owl 5K and Coyote 10K has been held every year since at least 2025. 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 10K pace chart lists the pace for every finish time.
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Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 37:07, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:03:39, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.
It is a small race (183 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.
The 5K winner ran 20:13 while the median finisher took 37:07. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.
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