The Opening Act 5K Run & Walk
About this race
Ready to get your run and groove on? Join us for the Opening Act 5K run/walk positioned to kick off Carmel PorchFest. You will be "part of the show" by participating. Strategically timed with a 10:30 AM start on Sunday, you will have time to finish, socialize then walk through MidTown to the start of PorchFest, just three blocks away. MidTown is in the DORA district so if you partake in an adult beverage, you are free to walk around MidTown with the special cup we provide. Enjoy post-race refreshments, music and more with specials from MidTown restaurants.
This timed 5K will include age group awards, medals and official event shirt. The course starts and finishes on the Monon Blvd at MidTown and takes runners north on the Monon, west towards Meadowlark Park then south to City Center Drive then back north to the finish.
THE BIG NEWS! This is where you are a part of the show! A jazz band will arrive at 11:45 AM and march the group north on the Monon to the start of PorchFest!! Think Mardi Gras fun coming to Carmel.
Proceeds benefit the Carmel PorchFest Grant Program, the program created to provide financial support to students interested in the musical arts to cover such items as new instruments, lessons, schooling, musical opportunities, etc. in exchange for volunteer hours.
Join us for this inaugural event to make it a tradition of running, music and fun!
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Running
The Opening Act 5K
The Opening Act 5K - Virtual from your stage!
Typical race-day weather
Based on 4 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Carmel, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 7:30 AM and sets at 7:45 PM local time (EDT) in Carmel on September 20, 2026 — 12h 14m 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 — The Opening Act 5K Run & Walk
The Opening Act 5K · 172 finishers
| Place | Name | Time | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aaron Gadberry | 20:11 | 6:30 /mi |
| 2 | Sarah Anderson | 20:36 | 6:38 /mi |
| 3 | Gabby Behr | 20:39 | 6:39 /mi |
| 4 | John Schmitz | 20:44 | 6:40 /mi |
| 5 | B. Coyle | 21:04 | 6:47 /mi |
Every finisher is on the results page, filterable by distance, gender and age group.
All results by year
Other races near Carmel
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
Ghosts and Goblins 1M/5K Walk/Run
Glühwein Gallop 5k
Bolt for the Heart - Thanksgiving Day 5K
Women's Running Festival featuring a Half Marathon, 10K, & 5K
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Carmel
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Carmel 5K Races 12 races
- 10K Run Events in Carmel 2 races
- Carmel Half Marathons 3 races
- Carmel Running Calendar 2026 17 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, 19 Carmel events
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