Sat, Dec 19, 2026

Santa Runs Palm Springs

Palm Springs, CA

Registration openAnnual since at least 2024

5K100m

Entry is $35 now and rises to $40 after Sep 1, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Santa Runs Palm Springs

The course starts in a church parking lot and winds through the Las Palmas neighborhood, a quiet residential area with wide streets and palm-lined blocks. It is mostly flat with one short climb, and the stretch back to the finish runs slightly downhill. Dogs on leashes and strollers are welcome, with strollers asked to line up toward the back.

Packet pickup happens the evening before at Ruth Hardy Park, a short drive from the start. Race-morning pickup is also available at the start site on Alejo Road. Street parking on the east side of the venue is free, and there is a public lot nearby on Alejo. Porta-potties are set up 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

641finishers

15:22winner

36:28median

1:07:21cutoff

Top 3: Ayden Briones (15:22) · Ethan Stockdale (16:17) · Demetrius Bribiesca (16:44)

The Santa Runs Palm Springs 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.

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

5K12/19/2026 08:30$35

100m12/19/2026 08:20$15

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.

Plan Your Trip

Where to Stay

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Common Questions About the Santa Runs Palm Springs

Will I finish last at the Santa Runs Palm Springs?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 36:28, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:07:21, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Santa Runs Palm Springs a good first 5K?

A field of 641 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 Santa Runs Palm Springs?

The 5K winner ran 15:22 while the median finisher took 36:28. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.