Zot Trot

Zot Trot is held in Irvine, California, on January 31, 2027, and is put on by UCI Triathlon. The running option is a 5K starting at 7:08 a.m., set alongside a reverse triathlon at 7:00 a.m. and a reverse triathlon relay, so you can enter on your own or as part of a team.

A reverse triathlon flips the usual order, running first and swimming last, which is why the 5K and the multisport events go off within minutes of each other. If you only want to run, the 5K stands perfectly well on its own and is over early enough to leave the whole day free. If you are curious about multisport, an event like this is a low-commitment way to try one: the distances are short, the relay lets you split the work with friends, and the atmosphere at a club-run race is closer to a group workout than to a championship. A few weeks of steady running is all the 5K asks.