5K Pump & Run

Arnold 5K Pump & Run Returns for 19th Year

The Arnold 5K Pump & Run, which tests overall fitness by measuring both strength and endurance, is the largest race of its kind in the United States.

The 2023 Arnold 5K Pump & Run, with a record 1,000 competitors, will be held Sunday, March 5, 2023. A stand-alone Arnold 5K will also be held Sunday, March 5.

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Athletes from more than 30 states participated in the 2022 5K Pump & Run. In the competition, participants bench press a percentage of their body weight. Each lift (up to a max of 30) reduces their 5-kilometer run time by 30 seconds.

The Arnold 5K Pump & Run has 10 age / gender divisions. Depending on age, men must bench press 60 to 100 percent of their weight, and women 40 to 70 percent of their weight. U.S. Military ROTC members drill instructors oversee the bench press and inspire lifters to their maximum.

Weigh-in and bench press begin at 6:30 a.m. Sunday March 5. The running portion of the 5K Pump & Run begins at 10:30 a.m. Spectators are welcome and the outdoor portion of the event is free. Admission to the “pump” portion of the Arnold 5K Pump & Run is included in the $35 daily expo ticket to the Arnold Sports Festival.

The Arnold 5K run-only event begins at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 5 at the north end of the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Entry to 5K Pump & Run or the Arnold 5K Run / Walk includes a T-shirt and a daily EXPO ticket for Sunday, March 5, 2023.