Running with the Balloons 5K

Cross-Country meets Traditional Road Race

Our fun, flat, fast, low-impact USATF-NJ certified 5K course features a mix of surfaces including pavement, gravel, dirt road, and grass. Add to this the spectacle of over 100 hot-air balloons taking off in a grand mass ascension and you have the most unique 5K in the country!

Join nearly 1,000 runners as the course leads right past the balloon launch area, finishing in the heart of the festival.

Registration

Registration will open in May 2023

Race Countdown

A signature item of this incredibly unique race is how we count down to race time. Airhorns or pistols typicallly begin a 5K; but that just won’t cut it around here. Each year we bring a death-defying thrill act to the Festival, and they are the ones to officially start the race.

Prizes

Top Male and Female Finisher
Win a FREE ride in a hot air balloon
Top 3 Overall Male and Female Finishers
Receive non-cash prizes
Top 3 Finishers in Each Age Group
Presented with medals

Age Groups

14 and under
15-19
20-24
25-29

30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49

50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69

Entry Perks

All runners receive a full-day pass to the Festival, which includes:

admission to the Festival ($40 Value)
free parking. ($10 Value)
lawn seating for Sunday afternoon's KANSAS headlining concert at 3:00 pm.
access to both the morning and evening scheduled hot air balloon mass ascensions.

Race Proceeds

In keeping with the Festival’s belief in “doing well by doing good,” a portion of the proceeds benefit the Girls on the Run®, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams.