Stroll on State Dasher Dash 5k

Stroll on State Dasher Dash 5k is run in Rockford, Illinois, on Saturday, November 28, 2026, with the 5K starting at noon. The midday start sets this race apart from the usual early-morning holiday-weekend events: you can sleep in, eat a normal breakfast and still have several hours to get ready before the gun.

Expect a road 5K on city streets in northern Illinois, where late November means cold air and the possibility of snow underfoot, so pick shoes with some tread and dress for standing around before the start. The distance suits just about everyone, from families covering it at a walk to runners looking for a sharp effort to end the fall season. If you want to race it, a few weeks of easy running plus one weekly session of short intervals is enough; if you just want to finish, consistency matters more than any single workout.