Polka Pace Race
About this race
About This Activity
The Polka Pace Race is a 5K run through the streets of Havana, including a jaunt through our scenic Riverfront Park and down our historic brick streets. The race begins and ends in the downtown area on Main Street. The Polka Pace Race route is a U.S.A. Track and Field certified course. Along with the Polka Pace Race there will be a 1-mile Polka Dot Fun Run for children 10 and under.
2025 will mark the 42nd annual running of the Polka Pace Race; the race is held during Havana’s Oktoberfest celebration, which offers an assortment of activities for the entire family. For more information on the Polka Pace Race or Oktoberfest, please visit the Havana’s Chamber of Commerce at www.historichavanaillinois.com or Mason District Hospital at www.masondistricthospital.org
Event details and schedule (Walkers and Strollers are welcome)
5K Entry fee includes Race registration, race bag, long sleeve race shirt, and beer ticket for those over 21.
Early Registration - Now thru August 15, 2025 - Cost: $30.00
Late Registration – August 16, 2025, thru September 2, 2025 – Cost $30.00 (Shirt/Packet not guaranteed)
Race Day registration is available ON SITE ONLY.
Cash prizes for the top 3 finishers overall, both male and female. ($50, $25, $10)
Glass pint drinking glasses for top 3 finishers both male and female age groups.
Medals for top 10 finishers in Polka Dot 10 and under Fun Run.
Packet Pickup – Race Day only starting at 6:30 AM, down on Main Street
Running Event Timed 5K Race begins at 8:00 am (Walkers start behind runners please)
Polka Dot fun run will begin at approximately 9:00 am
Timing by J3 Timing, Times will be posted online following the race.
Breakfast will be available for purchase near Main Street, after the race.
Pick your distance
Running
5k
Kids Fun Run
Typical race-day weather
Based on 4 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Havana, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 6:38 AM and sets at 7:14 PM local time (CDT) in Havana on September 12, 2026 — 12h 35m 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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2026 results — Polka Pace Race
5k · 160 finishers
| Place | Name | Time | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steven Ingersoll | 18:23 | 5:56 /mi |
| 2 | G. Southwood | 20:22 | 6:34 /mi |
| 3 | Benjamin Bayliff | 20:27 | 6:36 /mi |
| 4 | Robert Young | 21:19 | 6:53 /mi |
| 5 | Dusty Day | 21:33 | 6:57 /mi |
Every finisher is on the results page, filterable by distance, gender and age group.
All results by year
Other races near Havana
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
Site M: Redacted
Running with Ghouls
New Salem's Children's Center Turkey Trot
Dirty Petersburg Gravel Ride
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Havana
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Havana Running Calendar 2026 2 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, 2 Havana events
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