MSG Gary Gordon Challenge

MSG Gary Gordon Challenge takes place in Augusta, Georgia, on October 24, 2026. The event is a single 5K over 3.1 miles with a 9:00 a.m. start, a reasonable hour that leaves time for a proper warm-up without a pre-dawn alarm and gets you finished well before midday.

A 5K is short enough that preparation is quick and specific. Four to six weeks with two quality sessions a week, one of them at goal pace, is the standard recipe, and it works whether you are chasing a first sub-25 or a first sub-20. On the day, the mistake to avoid is the fast first half mile: the adrenaline of a mass start will pull you 20 seconds per mile quicker than you can sustain. Check your watch early, settle, and spend what is left over the last mile.