Sun, Oct 25, 2026

Run Scared

Seattle, WA

Registration openAnnual since at least 2018
10K5K4K400 Yards

Entry is $40 now and rises to $45 after Aug 1, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

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About the Run Scared

Run Scared takes place in Seward Park, a wooded peninsula on a lake in Seattle. The park has paved paths that loop through old-growth forest, so you get shade and tree cover most of the way. The race falls right around Halloween, and costumes are very much part of the morning, with a costume contest before the starting gun.

Packet pickup runs the evening before at West Seattle Runner, a local running shop, with race-morning pickup available as well. The start area has a kids dash and a treasure hunt before the main waves go off, so families tend to arrive early and make a full morning of it. Halloween treats are out at the finish.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 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 · 2025 results

370finishers
18:04winner
36:29median
1:11:33cutoff

Top 3: Toby Brewster (18:04) · Julia Budniak (18:57) · Tristan Baumann (19:56)

6.2 Miles · 2025 results

111finishers
31:31winner
1:00:44median
1:26:49cutoff

Top 3: Rob McCulloch (31:31) · Nathan Morrisson (32:52) · Paige Emerson (33:03)

4K · 2025 results

52finishers
23:07winner
42:27median
58:58cutoff

Top 3: Joe Adleberg (23:07) · R. Mitchell (23:59) · Austen Mitchell (23:59)

The Run Scared has been held every year since at least 2018. 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 Jul 27, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

6.2 Miles10/25/2026 09:45$50
5K10/25/2026 10:00$40
4K10/25/2026 10:00$40
Virtual Run Scared10/25/2026 00:00$40
400 Yards10/25/2026 08:45Free

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.

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Common Questions About the Run Scared

Will I finish last at the Run Scared?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 36:29, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:11:33, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Run Scared a good first 5K?

A field of 370 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 Scared?

The 5K winner ran 18:04 while the median finisher took 36:29. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.

Where can I train for the Run Scared?

Join a local run club. Club Northwest, Seattle Running Club, West Seattle Running Club and others in Seattle 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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