Registration is open 2023 Homecoming Race
The Homecoming Race will take place on Saturday, October 14 at 8 a.m. on the Oval for our traditional course. All ages and abilities are welcome.
Our registration remains gender-inclusive with a non-binary category for prizes and an option to keep your name and gender identity private during the awards ceremony as well as all time and rank postings.
Registration is now open
Check back here and follow our social channels for up-to-date information: HES X (Twitter), HES Instagram, and HES Facebook
In addition to the in-person 5K on the CSU Campus in Fort Collins, we welcome virtual racers joining us from around the globe.
Virtual runners may select the virtual option on RunSignUp to have their shirts shipped to them, and local participants can sign up online and pick up packets at our various booths around town – please note that only the runners registered for the virtual race will have their packets shipped to them. For virtual runners, to submit your time, follow these instructions.
For our youngest Rams! Kids Fun Run
Join us for the Kids Fun Run starting at 9 a.m. on the Oval! Cam the Ram will welcome the young runners and start the Kids Fun Run. Children will run one full lap around the Oval and earn a Homecoming ribbon as they pass through the finish line. Come help us cheer on our young runners after you have completed the race!
Race Information - 2023
Registration Pricing and Closures
This year, we are partnering with Green Events, an HES alumni-run event management team, to help us with registration.
Pricing
| August | September | October 1-13 | Race Day | |
| 5K Adult Registration Rate | $35 | $40 | $45 | $50 |
| 5K Students and Youth Rate (CSU students or ages 17 and under) | $25 | $30 | $30 | $35 |
| Virtual 5K Rate (does NOT include Fort Collins in-person Race Entry) | $35 | $40 | ||
*C2C and registered groups over ten are eligible for a discount
Packet Pickup
For the 2023 5K, there will be two opportunities to pick up your race packets.
- Please join us at the Festival of the Oval on October 13 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for packet pickup. Be on the lookout on our social media for an update on our booth location the day of!
- Packets will be available for pickup at Race Central starting at 6:30 a.m. on October 14. Race Central will be located on Isotope Drive on the southwest side of the Oval. Packet pickup will close at 7:45 a.m. prior to the race and any leftover packets will be able to be collected after the race finish.
The department expects a high turnout at both pickup events, so participants are encouraged to plan ample time to gather their packets.
Guidelines for Parking, Bags and Water
Parking
Since our race occurs on the same day as the CSU football game, there are a few important notes regarding parking outlined below:
- Beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 14, Colorado State will start enforcing game day parking, meaning all vehicles parked on campus lots without a game day pass at this time will be towed and/or ticketed.
- We recommend coming to campus for the 5K via public transportation, such as the MAX, rideshare programs, or biking/walking.
- Neighborhoods to the north of Laurel St. and east of College Ave. also allow for two-hour street parking once daily. The city will be enforcing the two-hour zones during this time.
- At this time there is NO designated parking for 5K participants. We will update this information if we are able to secure designated race parking. We are working with parking services to determine if we can designate 5K parking for the duration of the race, but due to the football game constraints, we traditionally do not have campus parking available.
- The Health and Exercise Science Department encourages drivers to be aware of the guidelines of where they park and cannot guarantee or take responsibility for tickets or tows during this time – please follow all guidelines and signage when parking on or near campus, or consider public and shared rider transportation in alliance with the sustainable vision of Colorado State University.
Bags
There will be a bag and belongings check-in at Race Central. We anticipate over 1,400 runners this year, so please allow time to make sure you can get your belongings checked in before the race.
Water
In line with CSU’s sustainable mission, we are moving away from single-use water bottles and providing water hydration stations. We encourage participants to bring their own bottles for use at our designated hydration stations this year. There will be limited bottle options provided but we encourage runners to bring sustainable clean bottles for our additional stations.
Race Map The 2023 5K Race Course
We are excited to go back to our tried and true course! Exit the Oval on the South and run through our scenic campus before ending the race with a straight path down the beautiful, tree-lined Laurel St. before ending back in our favorite place, the Oval.
This year, we are excited to support Alonso Quijano Research Scholars
The 2023 Homecoming 5K proceeds will support up to 10 Alonso Quijano Research Scholars per year to provide hands-on training research labs, outreach programs, and academic support roles at CSU or a non-profit entity that we partner with. One benefit is to allow financially vulnerable students who need paid employment to support their education to have a job that accentuates their academic career rather than taking time away from it. The goal is to provide students with advanced skills that will set them apart when entering the next phase of their professional journey.
Thank you to our Homecoming Race Sponsors
The Homecoming 5K Race is a community event, and we couldn’t do it without our dedicated community sponsors. We are honored to have sponsorships from community members, alumni, local businesses, and corporations. Local sponsorships are an integral part of our ability to bring this event to life every year and make a tremendous impact on our beneficiary program, Adult Fitness.
Thank you again to our official 2022 sponsors. Your donations will make a difference for the 2022 5K beneficiary – the Adult Fitness program. We are so grateful for your continual support.
2023 sponsors will be announced shortly