New Year's Day 5K & 8K

New Year's Day 5K & 8K takes place in Auburn, Washington, on January 1, 2027. Both distances go off at 10:00 a.m.: an 8K (5 miles) and a 5K (3.1 miles). Neither course has a published elevation gain.

The 8K is the interesting choice here. It is a distance that sits between a 5K and a 10K in both effort and pacing, run just under threshold, and it exposes anyone who starts too fast without punishing you for a full hour. Pick it if you kept running through December and want to know where you stand. The 5K is the safer opener after a quiet holiday period, and with a common start time the two fields set off together and finish within a few minutes of each other. Western Washington in January means damp roads, so shoes with reasonable grip and a light waterproof layer are worth having.