Sat, Feb 27, 2027

Rare Disease Fun Run

Birmingham, AL

Opens Dec 31, 2026Annual since at least 2025

1 Mile5K

About the Rare Disease Fun Run

The course runs through Railroad Park, a green space in Birmingham. The route is open to runners, walkers, and anyone pushing a stroller or rolling a wheelchair, so the field tends to look more like a neighborhood than a starting line. The race benefits the UAB Undiagnosed Disease Program, and that purpose is pretty visible in the crowd.

Packet pickup runs at several times and locations in the days before the event, including stops at the park itself and at a UAB public health building nearby. Race-morning logistics are at Railroad Park, right off a main avenue in the city.

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Rare Disease Fun Run 2026 Results

Going by the 2026 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 Results · 2026

385finishers

18:20winner

35:28median

1:12:06cutoff

Top 3: Arthur Strauss (18:20) · Keaton Morrison (19:12) · Alan Gardner (19:38)

The Rare Disease Fun Run 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.

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 Oct 25, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

1 Mile2/27/2027 08:15$7

3.1 Miles2/27/2027 08:00$5

5K Run/Walk2/27/2027 08:00$7

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

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Common Questions About the Rare Disease Fun Run

Will I finish last at the Rare Disease Fun Run?

Almost certainly not. Half the 3.1 Miles field finished slower than 35:28, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:12:06, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Rare Disease Fun Run a good first 3.1 Miles?

A field of 385 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 3.1 Miles, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Rare Disease Fun Run?

The 3.1 Miles winner ran 18:20 while the median finisher took 35:28. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.