Races

The Cedar Valley's 2026 racing season begins with that flat and fast Fool's 5K & 10K in beautiful George Wyth State Park. This race is a "Must do" event for all runners. Perfect for elite runners, walkers, and everyone in between. We hope to see you there!

The Cedar Valley SportsPlex Pump and Run 1-mile & 5K is back for year four! This event also include a free public health expo on Friday night during the pump and packet pickup. The goal of the health expo is to let the public interact with as many of the amazing businesses, organizations, and non-profits in the Cedar Valley as possible. FREE KIDS REGISTRATION Thanks to our amazing sponsor kids ages 1-12 will be able to participate in either the 1-mile or the 5K at no cost. HOW DOES THE PUMP-N-RUN WORK? Bench press and bicep curl a percentage of your body weight at the health expo to earn a reduction in your 5K time! You’ll receive 10 seconds off your 5k time for every repetition that you complete! Don’t want to Pump? You can still participate without a reduction in time!

Death by 5k is coming back to Waterloo for year 4! Think you have what it takes to finish the Death by 5k challenge? Taking place at beautiful George Wyth State Park, Death by 5k requires participants to run (or walk) ten 5ks over 24 hours, starting each 5k 2.5 hours apart. (8 am, 1030 am, 1 pm, 330 pm, 6 pm, 830 pm, 11 pm, 130 am, 4 am, 630 am) Race HQ will be the Canfield Shelter and the course will be an out and back on the Cedar Valley Lakes Trail (paved) There will be 5 meals, each including hot food, served over the course of the event. Meal times will be 830a, 130p, 630p, 1130p, and 420a. There will also be plenty of snack food and drinks available throughout the event. You will not go hungry or thirsty at a RunStrong Event Participants can spend time between 5ks in a camping tent, hammock, under a pop up tent, or in their vehicles. Participants will receive an event shirt, along with other event swag. Finishers will receive one of the coveted handmade finisher's coffin. Ini

The Run will wind through the beautiful, historic Village of Waterloo – Birthplace of Memorial Day.   Join us for a morning run at 8:30 AM.  You will have the rest of the day to enjoy all of the Memorial Day Celebration activities around Waterloo.  You can even make the big parade that starts at 11:00 AM.     Pre-Registration through May 21st – $30.00,  Children age 12 and under: $15.00Price Increases Race Weekend  – $35.00, Children under the age of 12: $20.00Packet Pickup: Waterloo High School  – Saturday May 23rd 7:30-8:30 AM   First male & First female finishers receive $100 prize. Age Groups: 0-10, 11-14,15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70 and over. 1st male and female in each age group will receive a separate Age Group Champion Shirt.Second and Third place receive a 2nd place or 3rd Place shirt also!Results will be given immediately at end of the race, along with prizes and awards.   T-Shirts guaranteed if you pre-register by May 5t

Now is your chance to be Fire Runner Champion... 5K style! Join us on June 12, 2026 for the Lost Island Fire Runner 5K. This race takes you to the relaxing vibes of  Lost Island Waterpark, as you drift around the lazy river (on the sidewalk of course!) and back to the high thrill vibes of Lost Island Themepark. Here you will snake your way through Tamariki, Udara, Awa, Yuta, and ending in Mura at Fire Runner, the winner of the USA Today Readers' Choice Awards for Best New Theme Park Attraction of 2025. Come for the race, stay for the rides and kick your weekend off right.   Registration Includes: Race EntryEntry to the Lost Island Theme Park day of raceFire Runner 5K t-shirtRace bib**Additional Purchase Required for Ticket to Lost Island Water Park on race day* $25 Additional Addon For more information about Lost Island parks, visit www.thelostisland.com

2025 RACE RESULTS: https://results.truetimeracing.com/results.aspx?CId=16535&RId=1479 Join us at the John Deere Tractor & Engine Museum to celebrate the history of John Deere in Waterloo! Waterloo is the official site of the first John Deere tractor factory and has been home to John Deere Waterloo Works for over 100 years! This event will be hosted at the John Deere Tractor & Engine Museum where you can run with John Deere employees and community members of the Cedar Valley. This flat, closed-to-traffic loop is great for serious racers and fun runners alike. We'll have a kids' race "The Spoker Sprint" start at 7:30 a.m. and our 5K starts at 8:00 a.m. Medals will be awarded following the conclusion of the 5K. The fun doesn't end with the run! This year, the 5K is a part of our larger two-day event, Deere Days at the Museum (Friday, June 12th 12pm-7pm and Saturday, June 13th 7:30am-3pm)! Stick around for outdoor and indoor exhibits, blacksmith demos, STEAM

Are you ready for the annual ShamRock N Run 5k race?! Race date is Saturday, August 1st, 2026 at 9am! Our event is held during the Iowa Irish Fest in downtown Waterloo, Iowa--the midwest's BEST Irish festival! Online registration is OPEN! And it is the Festival's 20th year--don't miss the celebration! Early packet pickup / walk-up registration will be: at the Iowa Irish Fest on Friday, July 31st from 4:00pm-7:00pm, at Main Gate Entrance 1 in downtown Waterloo. Race day packet pickup and walk-up registration begins at 7:30am Saturday morning and the race begins at 9am! Your weekend pass into the Irish Fest is NOT included in your 5k registration. For those age 16 and older, click the Add-On option to add a Fest pass for only $25! They are $35 at the gate so this is an excellent savings! You will pick up your Fest wristband pass at race packet pickup times (see above). Age 15 and under gain free entrance to the Fest so no ticket is required for them. Each registrant will rece

The Waterloo Library & Historical Society presents the 2026 Bookish 5k & the Cookie Fun Run (If You Give A Pig A Party)!   Join us for our 3rd Annual Bookish 5K: Stories in Stride event with a different theme for this year. 2026’s 5k theme is TBD. The first 100 Bookish 5K participants will receive a book-themed medal and T-shirt.    “If you give a pig a party”, they will probably party. When they party, they will probably feel guilty. But if they do this fun-run they can have their cake and eat it too! This family friendly race, originally inspired by Laura Numeroff's "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie", will tickle your taste buds AND benefit the Waterloo Library & Historical Society. This year we will be eating CAKE, but don't worry, you don't have to eat them along your run. We'll have some ready for when you are done!   If you are participating in our original 1 mile fun run, there will be 2 pieces of cake in total. So bring your appetite and running

Sprint Triathlon - 500 Meter Swim - 16.5 Mile Bike - 5K Run  Location: George Wyth State Park (3659 Wyth Rd Waterloo, IA 50703) Date: Sunday, September 13th  Time: 9am

The Fast Track Racing Turkey Trot will return for its 3rd year! We hope to see you, your friends, and family on Thanksgiving Day. The first 500 registrants will receive a special 2026 beanie! Register before they are gone! FREE 0-12 Tot Trot starts at 7:45am. Each Tot will receive a medal for their efforts! FREE Ages 0-12 Tot Trot: 7:45am Start 5K: 8:00am Start Course travels through beautiful George Wyth State Park. Strava Course Map Link Top 3 runners in each age group will receive a commemorative medal! 0-12, 13-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+ Come start your Thanksgiving Day with us!