2026 is well underway, and hopefully, your New Year’s intentions are off to a successful start. February always boasts a wide selection of 5K events to test your early-season fitness, stoke your competitive spirit, or reunite with the local run community. The Valentine’s holiday gives a great excuse for some chocolate-themed events and sweet indulgences throughout the month!
February 7 Cupids Chocolate Chase Eugene, OR
February 14 Valentines Live, Love, RUN 5K/10K/13.1 Phoenix, AZ
February 14 Heart Throb 5K Missoula, MT
February 14 Galentine’s 5K Seattle, WA
Cupids Chocolate Chase
February 7 — Eugene, OR / 5K, 10K
Join us for a sweet start to Valentine’s season at the inaugural Cupids Chocolate Chase Presented by Euphoria Chocolate Company! Each participant will be treated to a handcrafted Euphoria chocolate at the finish line. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Bags of Love, a local nonprofit supporting children in need.
Yakima River Canyon Marathon and Half-Marathon
March 28 — Yakima, WA / Half Marathon, Marathon
Check out these point-to-point races on paved state highway through the beautiful Yakima River Canyon. The half marathon is fulling up fast so register today!
Corvallis Half Marathon & 5K
April 11 — Corvallis, OR / 5K, Half Marathon
This scenic, 13.1 mile 'Tour de Corvallis' is mostly flat with two slow gradual climbs, and two gradual descents. The entire course is on paved roads, sidewalk and bike paths. The 5k is one of the flattest around.
During my peak marathon years, 5K races played a heavy role in my training cycles. They are an easy (and usually inexpensive) way to get in a quality speed workout, often encouraging us to push the pace more than we might during a solo interval session. The event context helps get us used to those pre-race nerves and practice early morning fueling. Even better, adding on a good mid-distance steady-paced run after the race, or scheduling your long run the day prior, adds more marathon-specific stimulus. Combos like these can help to “teach yourself to push through tough mental and physical boundaries.”
How to Use 5k/10k Races in Your Marathon Training
In only the first 2 weeks of 2026, we’ve seen impressive performances by American women on trail and road. Molly Seidel, in her initial move from marathon racing to trails, broke the longstanding Bandera 50K women’s record by almost 15 minutes, finishing 1st overall. Over that same weekend, and also in Texas, 42-year-old Sara Hall surprised everyone, including herself, with a second place spot at the Houston Marathon in 2:26:26.
Molly Seidel wins debut ultramarathon in the Bandera 50K
Sara Hall Signs On As A Pacer, Then Runs Her Way To Second At The Houston Marathon
More and more masters athletes like Hall are proving that endurance sport performance doesn’t have to plummet as previously accepted. And, although at some point speed and power will fall, athletes in their seventies and eighties are still pursuing new performance goals. Renowned coach and pioneer of the “run-walk” method, Jeff Galloway “could become the first person to have completed the distance in eight consecutive decades of life. His love of the sport shines in this New York Times piece covering Galloway’s 2026 plans.
50 Years Ago, He Was an Olympian. At 80, He’s Just as Happy to Finish Last.
