ANNISTON — The 43rd annual Woodstock 5K will again serve as the Alabama 5K Championship, as sanctioned by the Road Runners Club of America.
The Woodstock 5K is scheduled for Aug. 3 at Anniston High School along Woodstock Avenue It has played host for 17 RRCA championship races, including six national championships, five regional championships and six state championships. The race is organized by the Anniston Runners Club, a local non-profit organization.
Entry fee is $40, increasing to $45 on July 31. The race starts at 7:30 a.m. Local schools, organizations and the Arc of Calhoun & Cleburne Counties all receive profits from the race.
As of July 23, more than 900 runners from 13 states, as well as Kenya, are registered. The registration numbers are on par with 2023 when the race served as the RRCA National 5K Championship. Local runners comprise the majority of entries, but many elite runners also are participating.
Previous winners Ethan Mines (2021) and William Brown (2022) are returning. The 2023 runner-up, David Too of Tallahassee, Fla., also returns; he won the 2023 Rocket City Marathon.
Newcomers for the Woodstock 5K include Soloman Kagimbi from Kenya, who posted a 14:37 earlier this year at the Beaufort Twilight Challenge. Bradley Makuvie, a graduate student at the University of South Carolina, ran a 14:13.02 at the 2024 SEC Championships. The 2018 women’s Woodstock 5K champ, Gladys Cheboi, is returning, as is 2023 runner-up Joy Miller. Other elite female runners include Purity Munene and local athlete Maddyn Conn from White Plains.
First place winners (male and female) of the Woodstock 5K receive $500; that increases to $1,000 for a course record is broken. Cash prizes also are given for second and third place overall males and females, master, grandmaster and senior grandmaster winners. All overall award recipients also receive gift cards from race sponsor TrakShak.
Patrick Cheptoek holds the male record with a time of 14:13. Risper Gesabwa holds the female record with 16:06. Both were set in 2012.
Team Challenge
The Woodstock 5K also holds a Team Challenge. Friends, family, schools and other organizations can compile their individual times to win awards with their own $300 cash prizes. There is also the Kidstock 1K available to children from ages 1-11, occurring after the 5K finishes.
Visit the Woodstock 5K site for more information and registration.
