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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Unbound Now's Light Up The Dark 5K 2026 Results
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 Results · 2026
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.
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 Oct 25, 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
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