Sat, Oct 10, 2026

The Purple Run

Columbus, OH

Registration openAnnual since at least 2024

Entry is $25 now and rises to $30 after Aug 29, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Purple Run

The Purple Run is a road race through Whitehall put on by the city itself, with proceeds supporting domestic violence victims through a local family safety organization. The cause is front and center here, and the crowd reflects that, drawing people who want to be there for a reason beyond the race.

Packet pickup happens race morning at Whitehall Community Park before the start, so there is no need to make a separate trip the day before. The start and finish are both at the park.

Free race emails

Get the Weekly RunSesh

In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Columbus 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 small, friendly 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

95finishers

19:13winner

43:55median

1:07:09cutoff

Top 3: Arthur Tang (19:13) · Steve King (22:38) · Dwayne St Thomas (23:18)

The Purple Run 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

5K10/10/2026 09:00$25

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 Columbus — 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 Purple Run

Will I finish last at the Purple Run?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 43:55, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:07:09, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Purple Run a good first 5K?

It is a small race (95 finishers), which is friendlier and less intimidating than a big-city event, though the field thins out. 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 Purple Run?

The 5K winner ran 19:13 while the median finisher took 43:55. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.