MLK Jr. Freedom Run 5K/10K/13.1 SACRAMENTO

MLK Jr. Freedom Run 5K/10K/13.1 SACRAMENTO is run in Sacramento, California, on January 16, 2027, one of the national dates marking the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. All four distances leave at 7:30 a.m.: the half marathon (13.1 miles), the 10K, the 5K and a one mile family fun run. There is no chip timing, so the event is open to every pace. Each entrant receives a bib, a shirt, a finisher towel and a medal, and a virtual option is offered for those running from home.

Plenty of runners use the winter to rebuild after a busy autumn of racing, and an untimed half fits that phase neatly. Run it as a long steady effort, hold the same pace from start to finish, and you come away with a training session rather than a recovery week to manage. Anyone new to the distance should give it twelve weeks of preparation with one long run each week; anyone who is not should still resist the urge to race it in January.