The Blazing 5k
About this race
Welcome to the fastest 5k in the Midwest!
Event doubles as the USATF Iowa Road 5k State Championship.NEW in 2026, Team Competitions! See information below.
2025 RESULTS
2026 marks the 7th annual Blazing 5k. The last 6 years have welcomed elites and runners of all types. The 5k course starts on the back loop in Water Works Park and shoots out the gun going clockwise on the flat and fast loop. At the end of the loop the racers are greeted by a prize for the first person to cross the mat. From there it's another flat and fast main loop going clockwise. This area offers plenty of space for spectators and the field can be seen for almost the entirety of this loop. It finishes on the screaming fast and long straightaway to the finish.
USATF Certified Course: IA21006MF
The 7th edition of the event date is now taking place on October 4th, 2025.
Prizes:
2026 Prize Structure: See Below
Overall 1st M/F : $300 + Shoes
Overall 2nd M/F: $200 + Shoes
Overall 3rd M/F: $100 + Shoes
Overall 4th M/F: $75
Overall 5th M/F: $50
Beyond Recovery Halfway Premium: $100 + Shoes
5k Course Record Bonus: $100
- Male: Edwin Kurgat - 13:47 (2022)
- Female: Kassie Parker -15:46 (2024)
5k All-Comers Record Bonus: $TBD
- Male: Frank Omara - 13:37 (1992)
- Female: Shelly Steely - 15:30 (1992)
2025 Total Planned Purse: $3150 + Shoes (x8 pairs)
2024 Total Purse: $3350 + Shoes (8xpairs)
2023 Total Purse: $3540 + 8 pairs of free shoes + Coeur Gear (Women's Winner)
2022 5k Prize Purse: $2100 +shoes
2021 Blazing 5k Prize Purse: $1750 + shoes
2021 10k Invite Prize Purse: $2250 + shoes + gear
2020 Prize Purse: $600 + shoes + gift cards
Elites:
- Male cutoff 16:30
- Male Free Entry 14:45 or faster
- Free Entry Sign Up Opens 4/14/2026
- Female cutoff 20:00
- Female Free Entry 19:00 or faster
- Free Entry Sign Up Opens 4/14/2026
- Feel free to reach out to Tyson Wieland @ Tysonw123@live.com
Pick your distance
Running
Open 5K Race (No cutoff time)
Elite Female 5k Race (Cutoff 20:00)
Elite Male 5k Race (Cutoff 16:30)
Typical race-day weather
Based on 7 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Des Moines, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 7:14 AM and sets at 6:51 PM local time (CDT) in Des Moines on October 4, 2026 — 11h 36m 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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🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Des Moines
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Des Moines 5K Races 50 races
- 10K Run Events in Des Moines 28 races
- Des Moines Half Marathons 21 races
- Marathons in Des Moines 6 races
- Des Moines Running Calendar 2026 60 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, 63 Des Moines events
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