Sat, Oct 3, 2026

The Official Big Pumpkin Run 2026

Port Arthur, TX

Registration openAnnual since at least 2022
5K1K

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

Register

About the Official Big Pumpkin Run 2026

The course runs along the river through historic downtown, starting and finishing at the Riverside Pavilion. Along the way it passes a college campus, a historic house, a museum, and an old church before looping back to the water. The route is road the whole way, and the surroundings give it the feel of a neighborhood tour rather than a track workout.

Packet pickup runs on a couple of evenings before race day at locations nearby, including a local running store and an Italian restaurant, with race-morning pickup available at the pavilion if you come early. Parking is street parking near the venue, and some spots along the course may be blocked until the race wraps up, so if you need to leave quickly, aim for the spots farther from the start.

Free race emails

Get the Weekly RunSesh

In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Port Arthur 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

357finishers
16:46winner
32:28median
1:05:44cutoff

Top 3: Chase Peacock (16:46) · Troy Maddox (18:46) · Aidan Fountain (18:48)

The Official Big Pumpkin Run 2026 has been held every year since at least 2022. 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

5K10/3/2026 07:30$35
1K10/3/2026 07:15$25
5K10/3/2026 07:00$35

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 Port Arthur — 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 The Official Big Pumpkin Run 2026

Will I finish last at the Official Big Pumpkin Run 2026?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 32:28, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:05:44, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Official Big Pumpkin Run 2026 a good first 5K?

A field of 357 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 Official Big Pumpkin Run 2026?

The 5K winner ran 16:46 while the median finisher took 32:28. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.

Share Your Card

We made you a ready-to-post image. Story fits Instagram and TikTok Stories; Post fits the feed. Download it, post it, and tag @runsesh so we can cheer you on.

Preview of your share card