About This Activity
The Polka Pace Race is a 5K run through the streets of Havana, including a jaunt through our scenic Riverfront Park and down our historic brick streets. The race begins and ends in the downtown area on Main Street. The Polka Pace Race route is a U.S.A. Track and Field certified course. Along with the Polka Pace Race there will be a 1-mile Polka Dot Fun Run for children 10 and under.
2025 will mark the 42nd annual running of the Polka Pace Race; the race is held during Havana’s Oktoberfest celebration, which offers an assortment of activities for the entire family. For more information on the Polka Pace Race or Oktoberfest, please visit the Havana’s Chamber of Commerce at www.historichavanaillinois.com or Mason District Hospital at www.masondistricthospital.org
Event details and schedule (Walkers and Strollers are welcome)
5K Entry fee includes Race registration, race bag, long sleeve race shirt, and beer ticket for those over 21.
Early Registration - Now thru August 15, 2025 - Cost: $30.00
Late Registration – August 16, 2025, thru September 2, 2025 – Cost $30.00 (Shirt/Packet not guaranteed)
Race Day registration is available ON SITE ONLY.
Cash prizes for the top 3 finishers overall, both male and female. ($50, $25, $10)
Glass pint drinking glasses for top 3 finishers both male and female age groups.
Medals for top 10 finishers in Polka Dot 10 and under Fun Run.
Packet Pickup – Race Day only starting at 6:30 AM, down on Main Street
Running Event Timed 5K Race begins at 8:00 am (Walkers start behind runners please)
Polka Dot fun run will begin at approximately 9:00 am
Timing by J3 Timing, Times will be posted online following the race.
Breakfast will be available for purchase near Main Street, after the race.
Sep 12, 2026
Distance — 3.1 Miles
Type — Running
08:00
$30.00
Sep 12, 2026
Distance — 1 Miles
Type — Running
09:00
$10.00
These values represent the 3-year monthly averages for September in Havana.
Learn more about the host city, Havana.
Havana is the capital city of Cuba, and one of the fifteen provinces of the Republic of Cuba. Visitors come to Havana for its music, history, culture, architecture and monuments. Havana is a lively city that retains a lot of beautiful buildings from its heyday in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many of which have been deteriorating since the 1950s, creating a romantic atmosphere of a bygone era.
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