The Great Train Race
About this race
The Great Train Race has been a tradition in Fredericksburg Virginia for over 30 years! The event is one of the largest timed kid’s races on the east coast. Young runners get the rare opportunity to compete in a race just for them.
This year's race will be held on May 3rd.
The race starts near the Fredericksburg Train Station and runs through historic downtown. Runners cross the Crown Trophy Finish Line at the City Docks. Runners and families are invited to the Race Festival located in the commuter lot behind the Train Station for awards, music, vendors, and treats.
The race consists of 3 events for kids under 18:
The 1-mile Express for ages 6 to 17
The 1/2-mile George Dashington for ages 10 and under
The 1/4-mile Caboose Run for ages 5 and under
The Express and George Dashington will be chip timed races. The Caboose Run is a fun run and will not be timed.
All runners receive a finishers medal and race shirt (shirts are only guaranteed when registered before April 1st).
Pick your distance
Running
Express 1 Mile - (6 to 17)
All runners in the Express 1 Mile must run unassisted. No parents will be permitted on the course for this event. Runners must run in their assigned heat based on age and sex or risk being dropped from the standings.
George Dashington 1/2 Mile - (10 & under)
Runners must run in their assigned heat based on age and sex or risk being dropped from the standings.
Caboose Run 1/4 Mile - (5 & under)
A non-timed fun run. Parents are welcome to participate with their runner.
Typical race-day weather
Based on 7 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Fredericksburg, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 6:10 AM and sets at 8:03 PM local time (EDT) in Fredericksburg on May 3, 2026 — 13h 52m 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 — The Great Train Race
1,158 finishers across 2 distances · leading places in the Express 1 Mile - (6 to 17)
| Place | Name | Time | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryson Nemec | 4:49 | 4:49 /mi |
| 2 | Ethan Govar | 4:52 | 4:52 /mi |
| 3 | Colin Espinoza | 5:01 | 5:01 /mi |
| 4 | Scott Palko | 5:02 | 5:02 /mi |
| 5 | Gunnar Nearman | 5:08 | 5:08 /mi |
Every finisher is on the results page, filterable by distance, gender and age group.
All results by year
Other races near Fredericksburg
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
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🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Fredericksburg
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Fredericksburg 5K Races 17 races
- 10K Run Events in Fredericksburg 4 races
- Fredericksburg Running Calendar 2026 33 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, 39 Fredericksburg events
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