Balloon Run
About this race
A Better Way to Start Balloon Fiesta Weekend!
Balloon Run 2026 takes place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, the first day of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
Choose from the Half Marathon (new this year), 10 Mile, or 5K and enjoy a scenic race morning at Bosque School with Rio Grande views, hot air balloons, great swag, music, and a fun, welcoming atmosphere.
Why Balloon Run
Local. Scenic. Fun. Worth It.
Balloon Run is built to give runners and families a high-quality race experience with real value.
- Organized by locals
- Supports local causes
- Scenic Rio Grande course
- Hot air balloon views
- Start and finish at Bosque School
- Family-friendly atmosphere
- Professional chip timing
- Great swag and race-day perks
- Run with Olympians!
Distances
Something for everyone
Half Marathon — New for 2026
10 Mile
5K
Whether you are racing hard, running for fun, or making it part of a family weekend, there is a distance for you.
Participant Perks
More included. More to enjoy.
All participants receive:
- Long sleeve race shirt
- Big 'Ol Finisher medal
- Chip timing
- Custom fun bib
- Post-race snacks and brews
Half Marathon and 10 Mile participants also receive:
- Race hat
- Spike bag
- Sunglasses
- Energy gel station
Race-Day Experience
More than just a race
Music
Hot air balloon views
Great photo opportunities
Costume contest prize
Overall and age group awards
5K warm-up led by a 2020 and 2024 Olympian
It is a race morning that feels festive, polished, and easy to enjoy.
Pick your distance
Running
Half Marathon
13.1 miles of beautiful views. Out and back course. Energy gels and water on course. Every participant will receive a high-quality long-sleeve event shirt, a custom finisher medal, a spike bag, sunglasses, and a hat.
10 mile
10 miles of beautiful views. Out and back course. Energy gels and water halfway through. Every participant will receive a high-quality long-sleeve event shirt, a custom finisher medal, a spike bag, sunglasses, and a hat.
5k
Out and back course. Every participant will receive a high-quality long-sleeve event shirt and a custom finisher medal.
Typical race-day weather
Based on 8 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Albuquerque, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 7:03 AM and sets at 6:47 PM local time (MDT) in Albuquerque on October 3, 2026 — 11h 44m of daylight.
Course
No course map published yet.
The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.
Reviews
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Results — Balloon Run
Other races near Albuquerque
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
Great Balloon Chase 5K, 10K & 1/2 Marathon
Pamoja 5K Run OR Walk
Bales Brews and Brats 5k
NM ENCHANTMENT RUN: 15K, 10K AND 5K
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Albuquerque
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Albuquerque 5K Races 57 races
- 10K Run Events in Albuquerque 24 races
- Albuquerque Half Marathons 15 races
- Marathons in Albuquerque 3 races
- Albuquerque Running Calendar 2026 69 races
Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.
- Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
- Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
- Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
- Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 73 Albuquerque events
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