Sat, Oct 24, 2026

Sandy Springs Education Force's Lightning 10K & 5K

Sandy Springs, GA

Registration openAnnual since at least 2018

5K10K

Entry is $35 now and rises to $40 after Jul 31, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Sandy Springs Education Force's Lightning 10K & 5K

The course starts and finishes on Lake Forrest Drive and runs flat the whole way. The longer distance loops the shorter course twice, so if you are running it, you will pass the finish area before you are done. The race raises money for tutoring, literacy, and after-school programs that serve public school students in Sandy Springs.

Parking is spread across several spots near the start. The business lot at the start address is the closest option. Street parking and a couple of decks near City Springs work too, though both mean a longer walk to the start line. Some sections of the surrounding roads close as the race begins, so arriving early helps.

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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

450finishers

16:47winner

35:20median

1:08:07cutoff

Top 3: Ross Nelson (16:47) · Aaron Morgan (18:08) · Jordy Koransky (19:04)

10K · 2025 results

94finishers

37:48winner

59:00median

1:32:20cutoff

Top 3: sean battles (37:48) · Tyler Ottendorfer (39:51) · Mason TAUBE (41:09)

The Sandy Springs Education Force's Lightning 10K & 5K 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

5K10/24/2026 07:55$35

10K10/24/2026 07:45$45

Going for a Time?

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Where to Stay

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Common Questions About the Sandy Springs Education Force's Lightning 10K & 5K

Will I finish last at the Sandy Springs Education Force's Lightning 10K & 5K?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 35:20, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:08:07, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Sandy Springs Education Force's Lightning 10K & 5K a good first 5K?

A field of 450 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 Sandy Springs Education Force's Lightning 10K & 5K?

The 5K winner ran 16:47 while the median finisher took 35:20. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.