Sat, Dec 19, 2026

Selfless Elf 5k

Akron, OH

Registration openAnnual since at least 2013

Entry is $40 now and rises to $45 after Dec 18, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Selfless Elf 5k

The Selfless Elf raises money for a regional food bank, so the crowd tends to show up in costume and in good spirits. Chip timing runs at both ends of the course, and there are separate categories for runners and competitive walkers, each with their own bib color. Awards go out at a booth inside a warehouse at the finish.

Race-morning packet pickup starts well before the gun. The event is dog-free, which the organizers enforce to keep the course clear for participants and spectators.

Free race emails

Get the Weekly RunSesh

In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Akron on your radar: a Monday look ahead and a Thursday rundown of the weekend's races.

Two helpful emails per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

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

727finishers

17:02winner

35:00median

1:10:49cutoff

Top 3: Andy Feltman (17:02) · Christian Jenkins (17:14) · Jake Grdadolnik (17:28)

The Selfless Elf 5k has been held every year since at least 2013. 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 08:00$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.

Plan Your Trip

Where to Stay

Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around Akron — pan or zoom to compare what's nearby.

The map is provided by Stay22. If you book through it, RunSesh may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — it never affects the races we list.

Common Questions About the Selfless Elf 5k

Will I finish last at the Selfless Elf 5k?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 35:00, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:10:49, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Selfless Elf 5k a good first 5K?

A field of 727 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 Selfless Elf 5k?

The 5K winner ran 17:02 while the median finisher took 35:00. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.