Sat, Apr 3, 2027

Unbound Now's Light Up The Dark 5K

Waco, TX

Opens Nov 2, 2026Annual since at least 2016

5K1K

Entry is $40 now and rises to $45 after Dec 31, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Unbound Now's Light Up The Dark 5K

The course runs at night through Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, and the whole event leans into the dark. Runners carry glow gear through the zoo grounds after sunset, with food trucks, music, and games filling the hours before the start. The atmosphere is built around the cause, an anti-human trafficking nonprofit, as much as the run itself.

Parking at the zoo is tight, and the organizers say so plainly. Overflow lots are available nearby, with shuttle vans running participants to and from the zoo throughout the evening. Race kit pickup happens at a drive-through event at the Unbound office on an earlier date, with day-of pickup at the registration tent once the event opens.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2026 results, this is a big field, and the spread of finish times is wide, so this is a mostly recreational race rather than one for club runners.

5K · 2026 results

1,026finishers

17:11winner

34:17median

1:15:49cutoff

Top 3: Kaden Huff (17:11) · Jordan Beard (17:33) · Emory McDougald (17:37)

The Unbound Now's Light Up The Dark 5K has been held every year since at least 2016. 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 Sep 10, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

5K4/3/2027 19:45$40

1K4/3/2027 19:00$25

Spectator Zoo Pass4/3/2027 17:30$5

5K4/3/2027 19:30$45

1K4/3/2027 19:00$30

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.

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Common Questions About the Unbound Now's Light Up The Dark 5K

Will I finish last at the Unbound Now's Light Up The Dark 5K?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 34:17, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:15:49, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Unbound Now's Light Up The Dark 5K a good first 5K?

With 1,026 finishers there are runners at every pace, so you are never out on your own. 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 Unbound Now's Light Up The Dark 5K?

The 5K winner ran 17:11 while the median finisher took 34:17. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.