Sat, Aug 29, 2026

Smile-A-Mile (SAM) 5K

Birmingham, AL

Registration openAnnual since at least 2014

5K1 Mile

Entry is $20 now and rises to $25 after Aug 9, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Smile-A-Mile (SAM) 5K

The course runs flat through downtown Birmingham, passing Children's of Alabama and along the Rotary Trail. It starts and finishes at SAM Place, the home base for an organization that supports children with cancer and their families. The surroundings are urban but open, and the route has a clear civic weight to it.

Packet pickup is available at SAM Place across several days before the race, including race morning. A virtual option exists for anyone who wants to support the cause without running in person. Post-race, there are awards and activities back at the start area.

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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

317finishers

15:53winner

31:34median

1:00:32cutoff

Top 3: Tommy McDonough (15:53) · Chris Porter (18:30) · DeAndre Whatley (18:36)

The Smile-A-Mile (SAM) 5K has been held every year since at least 2014. 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

5K8/29/2026 08:00$35

1 Mile8/29/2026 08:00$20

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 Smile-A-Mile (SAM) 5K

Will I finish last at the Smile-A-Mile (SAM) 5K?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 31:34, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:00:32, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Smile-A-Mile (SAM) 5K a good first 5K?

A field of 317 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 Smile-A-Mile (SAM) 5K?

The 5K winner ran 15:53 while the median finisher took 31:34. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.