Walking With The Dead 5K, 1 Mile 2026
- Date
- Friday, October 2, 2026
- Start time
- 6:30 PM start (New York)
- Location
- Columbus, Ohio
- Entry fee
- From $10
- Included with entry
- Includes a shirt
- Fundraising
- Takes optional donations when you register
Registration is open.
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Events and entry fees
| Event | Distance | When | Entry fee | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5k | 5K | Oct 2, 20266:30 PM | $45$50 after Sep 28, 2026 | – |
| Run Club Sign-Up (Medal and Race Only) (No-Shirt or Drink Ticket) | 5K | Oct 2, 20266:30 PM | $10 | – |
| 1-Mile | 1 Mile | Oct 2, 20266:35 PM | $40$45 after Sep 28, 2026 | – |
Entry fees exclude processing fees. Prices and dates come from the race's registration page and refresh nightly.
Race day planning
Entry fee schedule
- 5k: $50 until Oct 2.
- Run Club Sign-Up (Medal and Race Only) (No-Shirt or Drink Ticket): $10 until Oct 2.
- 1-Mile: $45 until Oct 2.
Online registration closes Oct 2, 2026, unless the race fills first.
How the price compares
At $45, entry is about 50 percent above a typical 5K in Ohio, which costs $30 right now.
What a typical finish looks like
A typical finisher at a 5K in Columbus runs 39:58, about 12:52 a mile, based on 53 races with published results. Women typically finish in 43:07 and men in 32:59.
Light and altitude
Sunrise on race morning is at about 7:27 AM, and the 5k starts at 6:30 PM. The start sits about 730 feet above sea level.
Fees exclude processing fees. Comparisons use current entry fees and published results from races nearby.
Start location and course
Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, OH 43223
The pin marks the address the race lists, which is usually the start. The organizers have not shared a course map with us yet.
2025 results
All results (3 years)Aggregated from official results (RacePenguin) for Walking With The Dead 5K, 1 Mile. Individual finisher names are not stored here.
How fast do you need to be at Walking With The Dead 5K, 1 Mile?
In 2025, the fastest tenth finished in 5:01 or better, the top quarter in 24:19, and half the field in 32:10; the last tenth came in after 54:01.
| Age | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20 | 5:04 | 19:02 |
| 20-29 | 27:02 | 26:01 |
| 30-39 | 2:26 | 21:40 |
| 40-49 | 4:25 | 23:41 |
| 50-59 | 12:24 | 19:58 |
| 60-69 | 54:17 | 27:25 |
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 2025.
Finishers by year
Up 98 percent since 2023.
All events combined, from official results.
Walking With The Dead 5K, 1 Mile 5K year by year
From 2023 to 2025, the field went from 124 to 245 finishers, and the median time dropped from 38:01 to 32:10.
| Year | Finishers | Median | Fastest tenth | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 245 (+17%) | 32:10 | under 5:01 | 0:20 |
| 2024 | 210 (+69%) | 37:28 | under 23:43 | 0:59 |
| 2023 | 124 | 38:01 | under 23:32 | 19:39 |
From each year's official results for the 5K; virtual options are left out.
How fast is it?
About average for Ohio 5Ks
The fastest quarter of the 2023 5K field finished under 29:04, against 28:16 in a typical Ohio 5K, so times here are about average.
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 October 2 the day usually runs from 56°F at dawn to 73°F in the afternoon, with measurable rain on about 19% of days. Cold snaps dip to 43°F and hot years reach 81°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.
Race details
- Where
- Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, OH 43223Map
- Course
- Road
- Start elevation
- About 730 feet
- Included with entry
- T-Shirt
- Donations
- Accepted when you register
- Distances
- 1 Mile, 5K
- Editions
- 2026 (Oct 2, 2026), 2025 (Oct 3, 2025), 2024 (Oct 11, 2024), 2023 (Oct 27, 2023)
Organize this race? Add details or a correction
Plan your race
Quick answers
- When is Walking With The Dead 5K, 1 Mile?
- Friday, October 2, 2026, starting at 6:30 PM.
- How much does it cost?
- Entry starts at $10 before processing fees.
- When does registration close?
- Online registration closes Oct 2, 2026, unless the race fills first.
- Is the entry fee high for Ohio?
- At $45, entry is about 50 percent above a typical 5K in Ohio, which costs $30 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?
- 1 Mile, 5K.
- How big is it, and how fast?
- In 2025, 245 runners finished the 5k; the median finish was 32:10 and the winner ran 0:20.
- Is it a fast course?
- The fastest quarter of the 2023 5K field finished under 29:04, against 28:16 in a typical Ohio 5K, so times here are about average.
- Where does it start?
- Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, OH 43223.
From the organizers
Join Columbus Rotary at historic Green Lawn Cemetery during the 7th annual Walking with the Dead 5k Fun Run & 1-Mile Walk. Beer garden, costume prizes, ghost tours and fun for the whole family will be at this just-spooky-enough event. Sponsored by Green Lawn Cemetery, and Jones Lumber.
Gargoyles! Moats! Monuments! Scenic Paths! And then there’s the famous Central Ohioans who reside in Green Lawn. Among them: several Ohio governors, Columbus Mayors, Famous Artists and Musicians, WWI Flying Ace Eddie Rickenbacker, and scores of Civil War Generals and vets are just a few of the souls who call Green Lawn home.