This event will launch for 2025 in November 2024!
Known since 1997 years as a fun and fast fall event, this race has it all: a pancake-flat, certified, paved 5k course through a great park, great food, finisher medals, and much more. It’s a race for families, first-time runners and walkers, and elites alike.
For more information about this race, contact Lloyd Schmidt, Race Director.
Key 2024 info
Venue: Riverside Park, 1935 Rogers Dr. (enter off Speedsville Rd.), Cambridge, ON N3H 1B5
Date: September 29, 2024
Start time: 8:00 a.m.
Events: 5k | 200m kids fun run starts at 8:55
Recent event recaps: 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016
Race records: OA: 13:57 and 16:07. Masters: 16:09 and 17:26.
Accreditation: This race is sanctioned by Athletics Ontario the course is certified by Athletics Canada.
Run Waterloo is a non-profit that couldn’t provide racing experiences without partners like these. Thank you!
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 Elmira & Elora |
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Participant swag
Here is our fun and fally 2024 design for 2024.
Finisher medals are free and guaranteed to all participants. Check out the blog post to see it spin.
T-shirts (unisex, ladies, and youth) are for purchase during registration. (When choosing a t-shirt, consult this guide.)
More
- On a first-come first-served basis, themed stickers are given out at kit pickup.
- In registration, every 5k participant has the option to purchase a $5 plate customized with name and time to stick to the back of their finisher medal.
- Immediately after your race, all 5k participants can get a results sticker from the results tent, with your name, time, and stats.
Finisher medals (see it spin!) are free and guaranteed to all participants in all events. T-shirts (unisex, ladies, and youth) are for purchase during registration. (When choosing a t-shirt, consult this guide.) Stickers are free and available at kit pickup on a first-come basis.
Course maps and rules
This is the course interactive map, back for its second year. The park is closed to traffic. There is one water station on the course. This course is certified by Athletics Canada.
Course Preview
A narrated stroll through the 5k course, filmed in September 2023.
Course Rules
It is every participant’s responsibility to know the course and the race assumes no responsibility for any missed turns. Each turn will be marshaled and signed. Courses are pending approval and may change with municipal needs.
Time limit: 10 minutes per kilometer. Starting at the half way mark, if a participant does not reach a km mark by this calculated time, the participant will be asked to move to the sidewalk and finish the race as a pedestrian, unassisted by race support. Participants are asked to familiarize themselves with the course route if this situation might be a possibility to them. We wish to minimize traffic disruption caused by our event, and value the support of Police services regarding participant safety.
Individual event categories and awards
Categories
During registration each 5k participant must choose to compete in one of these four category types:
- Age Groups: up to 9 | 10 – 12 | 13 – 15 | 16 – 19 | 20 – 24 | 25 – 29 | 30 – 34 | 35 – 39 | 40 – 44 | 45 – 49 | 50 – 54 | 55 – 59 | 60 – 64 | 65 – 69 | 70+
- Weight Categories: F160+lbs | F185+lbs | M190+lbs | M215+lbs
- Adaptive Athlete
- Walker
Awards
In these categories, without duplication, recognition goes as follows:
- To the top three overall, then
- To the top three masters, then
- To the top three in every other event category.
Notes
- Participants choose this during registration and it is available as editable data in Race Roster until the Tuesday at midnight before the race.
- Within a minute of finishing, participants can visit the results kiosk for a sticker printout of their time and stats, and if applicable, award plate for any of the above categories.
- The engraved plate sticks in the recess of your finisher medal. This kiosk runs while the race is still running and for a short while after, so participants don’t need to wait for anything.
- Any unclaimed stickers and medal plates will be available by participant request at a future Run Waterloo event or for pickup at Runners’ Choice Waterloo.
Prize money
- 5 KM Overall, Men and Women:
- 1st – $450 | 2nd – $300 | 3rd – $200 | 4th – $150 | 5th – $100
- Potential overall prize money winners not under 15:00 (men) and 17:00 (women) are discounted by 50%.
- 5 KM Masters, Men and Women:
- 1st – $200 | 2nd – $100 | 3rd – $50
- Potential masters prize money winners not under 17:30 (men) and 20:00 (women) are discounted by 50%.
- Time-Based Incentives:
- Time-A: Sub 13:57 (men) and 15:29 (women)
- $300 for the first athlete under these times. Athletes who win Time-A awards do not count for Time-B.
- Time-B: Sub 14:15 (men) and 16:15 (women).
- For up to three athletes who beat (not tie) these times, the winner would receive $100, a second place result would receive $75, and a third place result would receive $50.
Note: Prize money distribution will differ from medal distribution in cases where the Overall placing priority reduces prize money earned for a faster runner.
- Time-A: Sub 13:57 (men) and 15:29 (women)
Team categories and awards
Categories
During registration, each 5k participant has the option to join or create a team in any of these five category types:
- Parent Child (2 person team)
- Spouse (2 person team)
- Open (min 5 person team)
- Corporate (min 3 person team)
- School (min 3 person team)
Awards
- We award engraved plates for top-3 teams in each team category.
- If applicable, participants would choose which earned award they prefer to stick to their medal (individual or team).
- Team awards are only ready after the timed event completely finishes.
Prize money
- Open Team:
- 1st – $100 (minimum 5 eligible teams in the official results)
Notes
- Any team can only include participants of the same timed event. For example, one spouse in the 5k and the other spouse in the 2.5k can not be counted on the same team.
- Any individual can join one team per category. Any individual can join teams in as many different categories as they want. To join multiple teams, participants can “write-in” the team name in the “Join additional teams” text box found in registration and editable data in Race Roster.
- Any unclaimed stickers and medal plates will be available by participant request at a future Run Waterloo event or for pickup at Runners’ Choice Waterloo.
Registration and kit pickup
Registration
Online only, through Race Roster. Paper forms are not available.
No refunds. Entries can be deferred (to 2025) or transferred (to another participant) through Race Roster for a $15 fee until the transfer deadline of September 24 at midnight, at which point the fee increases to $25 until one hour before the race starts.
Kit pickups and race weekend registration
Friday, September 27: kit pickup at Runners’ Choice 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 28: kit pickup at Runners’ Choice 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 29: kit pickup at Riverside Park 7:00a.m. – 7:45 a.m.
Accessibility info
Run Waterloo would like to assist in breaking down barriers faced by runners with disabilities. For 2019, we have created the position of Accessibility Coordinator, who will answer your questions regarding assistance, accommodations, and venue and course information. Contact Deirdre at [email protected].
We offer discounts for any guide runners. Please contact our accessibility coordinator at this email address for further information.
Elite info
We are still accepting elite applications to this race. Check out the 2019 elite list.
At Run Waterloo, we value elite and sub-elite athletes that contribute to strong fields. There are a limited number of elite entry spots available for this race and they go quickly every year. Contact our Elite Coordinator Alex Ullman (Instagram or email [email protected]) to learn more about our elite program.
Photos
Run Waterloo events include hundreds or thousands of photos posted to our Flickr page, all free for download and use. They are also tagged directly to the results.
Race history
This race began in the 1980s as a 10k during Oktoberfest. Fast forward decades later, and in the 26th year of the rebooted event, we are dropping the original 10k to focus on what has become the signature 5k distance.
