Course
Course
Light the Darkness 5K 2027
- Date
- Saturday, January 16, 2027
- Start time
- 3:45 PM start (New York)
- Location
- Cocoa Beach, Florida
- Entry fee
- From $30 · goes up to $35 on Dec 16, 2026
- Included with entry
- Includes a shirt
- Fundraising
- Takes optional donations when you register
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Official race websiteAdd to calendar: Apple or Outlook · Google
Events and entry fees
| Event | Distance | When | Entry fee | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor | – | Jan 16, 20273:45 PM | $50 | – |
| Light the Darkness 5K | 5K | Jan 16, 20275:30 PM | $30$35 after Dec 16, 2026 | – |
| Light the Darkness - VIRTUAL RACE ONLYVirtual | 5K | Jan 16, 20275:30 PM | $40 | – |
Entry fees exclude processing fees. Prices and dates come from the race's registration page and refresh nightly.
Register on RunSignup
The 5K fee goes up to $35 on Dec 16, 2026.
Race day planning
Entry fee schedule
- Vendor: $50 until Jan 8.
- Light the Darkness 5K: $30 until Dec 15, then $35 until Jan 8, then $40 until Jan 16.
Online registration closes Jan 16, 2027, unless the race fills first.
How the price compares
At $30, entry is about 13 percent below a typical 5K in Florida, which costs $34.50 right now.
What a typical finish looks like
A typical finisher at a 5K in Cocoa Beach runs 44:05, about 14:11 a mile, based on 7 races with published results. Women typically finish in 49:08 and men in 38:54.
Light and altitude
Sunrise on race morning is at about 7:15 AM, and the Vendor starts at 3:45 PM. The start sits about 0 feet above sea level.
Fees exclude processing fees. Comparisons use current entry fees and published results from races nearby.
Start location and course
Lori Wilson Park I Dream of Jeanie Ln. (South Entrance), Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
The pin marks the address the race lists, which is usually the start. The organizers have not shared a course map with us yet.
2026 results
All results (3 years)265
finishers
49:32
median (15:57 /mi)
20:34
winning time
67% / 33%
women / men
Aggregated from official results (Sommer Sports) for Light the Darkness 5K. Individual finisher names are not stored here.
How fast do you need to be at Light the Darkness 5K?
In 2026, the fastest tenth finished in 28:23 or better, the top quarter in 36:05, and half the field in 49:32; the last tenth came in after 1:06:49.
| Age | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20 | 31:59 | 27:01 |
| 20-29 | 30:09 | 28:16 |
| 30-39 | 31:16 | 29:29 |
| 40-49 | 32:10 | 32:44 |
| 50-59 | 30:59 | 24:53 |
| 60-69 | 26:27 | 29:23 |
| 70+ | 59:05 | 36:05 |
Groups with fewer than five finishers are left out. Awards vary by race; check the race's rules.
What would my time get me?
Where a finish time would have placed in 2026.
Finishers by year
Down 16 percent since 2024.
314
2024
231
2025
265
2026
All events combined, from official results.
Light the Darkness 5K 5K year by year
From 2024 to 2026, the field went from 314 to 265 finishers, and the median time rose from 45:23 to 49:32.
| Year | Finishers | Median | Fastest tenth | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 265 (+15%) | 49:32 | under 28:23 | 20:34 |
| 2025 | 231 (-26%) | 44:32 | under 26:57 | 18:04 |
| 2024 | 314 | 45:23 | under 27:50 | 18:41 |
From each year's official results for the 5K; virtual options are left out.
How fast is it?
Slower than most Florida 5Ks
The fastest quarter of the 2026 5K field finished under 36:05, against 29:59 in a typical Florida 5K, so times here run 20 percent slower.
Compares the fastest quarter of each field, so walkers and first-timers do not skew it. It reflects the course and the field together: a flat course, cool weather, or a competitive crowd all make times faster.
Typical race-day weather
Around January 16 the day usually runs from 52°F at dawn to 71°F in the afternoon, with measurable rain on about 19% of days. Cold snaps dip to 41°F and hot years reach 79°F.
Based on 75 days within a week of the date over the last 5 years, from historical weather for the start area. Not a forecast.
From the race's page
What the organizers of Light the Darkness 5K cover on their registration page, in brief.
Race details
- Where
- Lori Wilson Park I Dream of Jeanie Ln. (South Entrance), Cocoa Beach, FL 32931Map
- Course
- Road
- Start elevation
- About 0 feet
- Included with entry
- T-shirt/tank top
- Donations
- Accepted when you register
- Distances
- 5K
- Editions
- 2027 (Jan 16, 2027), 2026 (Jan 24, 2026), 2025 (Jan 18, 2025), 2024 (Jan 27, 2024)
Organize this race? Add details or a correction
Plan your race
Quick answers
- When is Light the Darkness 5K?
- Saturday, January 16, 2027, starting at 3:45 PM.
- How much does it cost?
- Entry starts at $30 before processing fees, and rises to $35 on Dec 16, 2026.
- When does registration close?
- Online registration closes Jan 16, 2027, unless the race fills first.
- Is the entry fee high for Florida?
- At $30, entry is about 13 percent below a typical 5K in Florida, which costs $34.50 right now.
- Do runners get a shirt or medal?
- Entry includes a shirt, according to the race's registration page. Check it for sizes and whether kids' races get the same.
- Can I donate to a cause when I register?
- Yes. The registration form offers an optional donation, usually for the charity or nonprofit the race supports. The race's own page names the cause.
- What distances can I run?
- 5K.
- How big is it, and how fast?
- In 2026, 265 runners finished the Light the Darkness 5K; the median finish was 49:32 and the winner ran 20:34.
- Is it a fast course?
- The fastest quarter of the 2026 5K field finished under 36:05, against 29:59 in a typical Florida 5K, so times here run 20 percent slower.
- Where does it start?
- Lori Wilson Park I Dream of Jeanie Ln. (South Entrance), Cocoa Beach, FL 32931.
From the organizers
LOCATION** Lori Wilson Park!!
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month!
Join us for the 4th Annual Light the Darkness 5K working to put an END to Human Exploitation one step at a time! Our mission is to ignite an army towards prevention, response, and recovery initiatives, which include, raising awareness, education, engagement, and advocacy.
This is an evening out and back BEACH race that will start on the beach in front of LORI WILSON PARK! This is our official launch of our 2027 Get Outdoors for Freedom Series. If you love the outdoors and want to contribute to the solution in ending human exploitation and trafficking, you can walk, run, hike or golf....All for the Freedom of others!