Sat, Jan 9, 2027

Operation Changing Lives 5K Run and Walk 2027

Ponce Inlet, FL

Registration openAnnual since at least 2024

Entry is $30 now and rises to $35 after Jan 8, 2027, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Operation Changing Lives 5K Run and Walk 2027

The course starts and finishes at the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, and the surrounding area is flat and open with water nearby. It draws a range of paces, and the cause behind it, reconstructive surgery for patients with facial disfigurements, gives the morning a purpose that most local races do not carry.

Packet pickup runs the evening before at a running store in a nearby shopping and entertainment district, with race-morning pickup opening well before the start. The race is professionally timed with chip bibs, and results go up onsite and through a QR code on your bib. Handmade awards and post-race refreshments round out the finish area.

Free race emails

Get the Weekly RunSesh

Get races near Ponce Inlet in your inbox. Every Monday we send the races coming up, and every Thursday we send the ones happening that weekend.

Two helpful emails per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Operation Changing Lives 5K Run and Walk 2026 Results

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 Results · 2026

197finishers

18:07winner

35:47median

1:06:33cutoff

Top 3: Jacob Benton (18:07) · Julius Dayandante (19:12) · William Hemstock (20:04)

The Operation Changing Lives 5K Run and Walk 2027 has been held every year since at least 2024. 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 3.1 Miles 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 Nov 12, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

3.1 Miles1/9/2027 07:30$30

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.

Not sure what to aim for? The 5K pace chart lists the pace for every finish time.

Plan Your Trip

Where to Stay

Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around Ponce Inlet — pan or zoom to compare what's nearby.

The map is provided by Stay22. If you book through it, RunSesh may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — it never affects the races we list.

Common Questions About the Operation Changing Lives 5K Run and Walk 2027

Will I finish last at the Operation Changing Lives 5K Run and Walk 2027?

Almost certainly not. Half the 3.1 Miles field finished slower than 35:47, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:06:33, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Operation Changing Lives 5K Run and Walk 2027 a good first 3.1 Miles?

It is a small race (197 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 3.1 Miles, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Operation Changing Lives 5K Run and Walk 2027?

The 3.1 Miles winner ran 18:07 while the median finisher took 35:47. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.

Browse the Race Calendar

5K Races in January 5K Races in Florida in January Winter 5K Races

Want more races like this delivered straight to your inbox?