First Night State College Resolution Run 5K
Resolution Run 5K
The First Night Resolution Run 5K was first run on New Year's Eve, 1997. About 130 hearty souls showed up on a frigid, windy night for the race through downtown State College and the Penn State Campus. Since then, the race has grown every year and has become a much anticipated part of the First Night® State College festivities as well as the start of the local running calendar. Like the Boalsburg Memorial Day Race, the First Night 5K is a "fun run" attracting first time racers, families, kids, out-of-town Christmas visitors, costumed runners (there's a prize for the best costume!), as well as serious competitors. The course is fast, with a relatively mild (by State College standards) hill in the first half-mile, an even milder one in the second mile, and a long downhill to the finish. Well over 700 runners have taken part in recent years' Resolution Runs, and the race keeps on growing: Since 2012, the race has had between 300 and 1000 finishers!
The Resolution Run 5K is part of the First Night® State College festivities. First Night® State College is three days of winter fun, including music, crafts, ice sculptures, indoor and outdoor performances and activities, and a Grand Procession through downtown State College. For more information on First Night, visit the First Night® State College web site.
activities are dated by the coming year, so the 1998 First Night 5K was held on December 31, 1997)
1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
2006 | 2007![]() |
2008![]() |
2009![]() |
2015![]() |
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2019 | 2020![]() |
Race Information
- First Night 2021: The 24th First Night State College Resolution 5K will be held on December 31, 2020 at 6:30 PM.
- Results of the 2020 race are here.
- Race Registration: Registration information will be available closer to the event date.
- Course Description, Map, and Elevation Profile from the NVRC Maps Pages.
- Runner's Gazette story on the 2000 First Night Resolution Run 5K.
- Marty Mazur on First Night Y2K.
- First Night T-Shirts Through The Years
- Romance On The Run: From Runner's World Women's Weekly, January 7, 2002.
- For information on the First Night Resolution Run 5K, contact Davs Michael at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Men's event record: Gavin Gaynor, 1997, 15:11
Men's course record: Artie Gilkes, 2006, 15:15
Created 01/07/04