Sun, Jan 31, 2027

Run Like It's Recess 5K

Long Beach, CA

Registration openAnnual since at least 2010

About the Run Like It's Recess 5K

The course runs through El Dorado Park East, near the train and playground area. It is flat and fast, so runners chasing a personal best and those just out for a stroll through the park tend to share the same morning. Strollers and wheelchairs are welcome, and the surroundings give the whole thing an easy, open-air feel rather than anything formal.

The race is put on by a school's parent-teacher association as a fundraiser, which shapes the crowd: expect a lot of families. Post-race awards go to the top finishers in each age group across the 5K distance.

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Run Like It's Recess 5K 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

384finishers

17:02winner

33:25median

1:02:43cutoff

Top 3: Viet Nguyen (17:02) · J. Parra (17:23) · Noah Patterson (17:33)

The Run Like It's Recess 5K has been held every year since at least 2010. 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 Oct 23, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

5K1/31/2027 09:00$35

1k1/31/2027 10:15$20

Toddler Run1/31/2027 10:45$15

5K1/31/2027 10:45$40

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 Run Like It's Recess 5K

Will I finish last at the Run Like It's Recess 5K?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 33:25, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:02:43, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Run Like It's Recess 5K a good first 5K?

A field of 384 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 Run Like It's Recess 5K?

The 5K winner ran 17:02 while the median finisher took 33:25. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.

Where can I train for the Run Like It's Recess 5K?

Join a local run club. Long Beach Run Club, Long Beach Running Club, Long Beach Frontrunners and others in Long Beach welcome runners of all paces, and a weekly group run is the most reliable way to hold a training block together.

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