About the Running Scared 5K
The course runs on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University, and the race has a built-in twist: at various points along the route, pumpkins are waiting. Pick one up and carry it to the finish. Smaller ones near the start mean a longer carry; larger ones further along mean a shorter one. The race benefits Special Olympics Florida.
Packet pickup runs the evening before at Fleet Feet Fort Myers, with race-morning pickup on campus before the start. The start area is at the university, so parking and staging are campus-based.
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Finish-Time Stats
Going by the 2024 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 · 2024 results
90finishers
18:50winner
37:55median
56:46cutoff
Top 3: Alayna Goll (18:50) · Brawley Adams (19:23) · David Taymazov (21:36)
The Running Scared 5K 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.
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
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Where to Stay
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