Summer Sunrise Watermelon Series | Lakeland, FL
About this race
This race is held by the Lakeland Runners Club, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to promote running and fitness for people of all ages and abilities in the community.
Summer Sunrise Watermelon Series
📅 Saturday, June 13, July 11, August 8, 2026
🕢 7:00 AM
📍 Lake Hollingsworth | Lakeland, FL
The Summer Sunrise Watermelon Race Series isn’t just a race—it’s a celebration of summer, competition, and community. Whether you're an elite runner chasing a personal best or a walker soaking in the morning sunshine, this three-race 5K series welcomes everyone to embrace the challenge. Run a single 5k or sign up for the three race series.
Held at Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland, FL, each race brings fast times, fierce competition, and a vibrant atmosphere. The event has long been a proving ground for top local athletes while remaining an inviting experience for casual runners and walkers alike.
Beyond the finish line, the Watermelon 5K Series fuels scholarship funding for Polk County students—a tradition that started in 2011 and has grown to over $123,000 awarded to deserving high school seniors. So lace up, hit the pavement, and #GetSweatyForScholarships!
Walkers are welcome at this event. The Watermelon 5k is held on a USATF-certified course (FL21019JK). The race is chip-timed.
We are unable to mail 🔢bibs, 🎽shirts, 🏅finisher medals, or 🏆awards.
If you are not able to attend, please make arrangements for in-person pickup. A friend or family member may collect your packet during the scheduled packet pickup window or retrieve your award during the awards ceremony. Please refer to the race info for specific times and locations.
Any shirts not picked up before the race begins will be available for exchange after the race.
Please see our menu for details on:
• FAQ
• How to Participate
• Race Details
• Maps
• How to Support the Event as a Donor or Sponsor
• Volunteer Information
Pick your distance
Running
3 Race 5K Series
Your Entry Includes • 3 Chip Time Races • 3 Finisher Medals • 1 Series Shirt • Age Group Award Eligible if all races completed
June 5k
Your entry includes • Single Chip-timed 5k • 1 Finisher Medal Does NOT include a race shirt
July 5k
Your entry includes • Single Chip-timed 5k • 1 Finisher Medal Does NOT include a race shirt
August 5k
Your entry includes • Single Chip-timed 5k • 1 Finisher Medal Does NOT include a race shirt
Stroller Rider
Registration and waiver for stroller riders.
Typical race-day weather
Based on 11 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Lakeland, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 6:30 AM and sets at 8:25 PM local time (EDT) in Lakeland on June 13, 2026 — 13h 54m 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.
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2026 results — Summer Sunrise Watermelon Series | Lakeland, FL
3,091 finishers across 3 distances · leading places in the June 5k
| Place | Name | Time | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Wales | 16:28 | 5:17 /mi |
| 2 | James Nolan | 16:29 | 5:18 /mi |
| 3 | Matt Karl | 16:31 | 5:18 /mi |
| 4 | Jose Espinoza | 17:02 | 5:28 /mi |
| 5 | Luis Y. Aponte | 17:09 | 5:31 /mi |
Every finisher is on the results page, filterable by distance, gender and age group.
All results by year
Other races near Lakeland
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
RCE Foundation's Spooktacular 5K
Holly Jolly Jingle Bell Jog 5k
White Elephant 5K/10K - Lakeland
LRC Pack Run | Lakeland, FL
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Lakeland
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Lakeland 5K Races 23 races
- 10K Run Events in Lakeland 8 races
- Lakeland Running Calendar 2026 42 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, 44 Lakeland events
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