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About RaceIndexOur methodologyData coverageCyclingTriathlon

Lowest ascent 5ks

The lowest ascent 5ks, ranked from trusted raw-elevation route profiles across 97 qualifying races.

Ranking current as of

Which race ranks first — and why is it St. Croix Crossing Half Marathon?

St. Croix Crossing Half Marathon leads this ranking on total ascent (2 m).

Compare St. Croix Crossing Half Marathon vs Mississippi River Marathon

#RaceTotal ascentClimb densityDescentNet elevationMax absolute gradeAs of
1St. Croix Crossing Half Marathon 5K - minnesota2 m0.5 m/km62 m-60 m5.5%
2Mississippi River Marathon 5K - mississippi4 m0.8 m/km4 m0 m2.4%
3Martian Invasion of Races 5K - michigan7 m1.5 m/km7 m0 m1.7%
4TBK Bank Quad Cities Marathon 5K - iowa8 m1.6 m/km8 m0 m2.1%
5Montana Marathon (Billings) 5K - montana8 m1.6 m/km34 m-26 m3.4%
6OTC Butte to Butte (Eugene) 5K - oregon14 m2.8 m/km14 m-0 m2.7%
7The Woodlands Marathon 5K - texas15 m2.9 m/km15 m-0 m4.6%
8Tirol läuft (Innsbruck) 5K - austria16 m3.1 m/km18 m-2 m5.5%
9Buffalo Stampede Half Marathon (Kearney) 5K - nebraska16 m3.1 m/km15 m-0 m4.2%
10Novant Health Wilmington Marathon 5K - north-carolina17 m3.4 m/km17 m0 m3.2%
11Idaho Falls Marathon 5K - idaho19 m3.8 m/km19 m0 m6.0%
12Marshall University Marathon 5K - west-virginia20 m3.8 m/km21 m-1 m6.1%
13Paavo Nurmi Marathon 5K - finland20 m4.1 m/km21 m-1 m5.7%
14Energa Gdańsk Maraton 5K - poland21 m4.2 m/km21 m1 m8.0%
15Indiana Women's Running Festival (Indy Women's Half Marathon), Carmel 5K - indiana21 m4.3 m/km21 m-0 m3.5%
16Debrecen Maraton 5K - hungary21 m4.3 m/km22 m0 m3.5%
17City of Colleges Half Marathon 5K - arkansas22 m4.4 m/km22 m0 m2.9%
18Mercy Health Glass City Marathon 5K - ohio23 m4.6 m/km26 m-3 m7.0%
19Maui Oceanfront Marathon 5K - hawaii23 m4.6 m/km24 m-0 m4.2%
20Stormin' Norman Run 5K - oklahoma23 m4.6 m/km23 m-0 m6.3%
21The Fury Run (Stormin' Norman Run), Norman 5K - oklahoma23 m4.6 m/km23 m-0 m6.3%
22Trondheim Maraton 5K - norway24 m4.7 m/km23 m1 m4.8%
23Cleveland Marathon 5K - ohio24 m4.8 m/km25 m0 m8.0%
24NN Night Run Ostrava 5K - czechia24 m4.8 m/km27 m-3 m4.9%
25Helvetia Half Marathon 5K - oregon24 m4.8 m/km23 m2 m3.7%
26Sioux Falls Marathon 5K - south-dakota24 m4.8 m/km26 m-2 m4.1%
27Southampton Marathon 5K - south-east26 m5.2 m/km12 m14 m4.3%
28Maine Coast Marathon 5K - maine26 m5.2 m/km26 m-1 m8.0%
29Newport Rhode Races (Newport Spring Marathon & Half) 5K - rhode-island28 m5.7 m/km28 m-0 m9.6%
30The Original Las Vegas Marathon 5K - nevada28 m5.7 m/km29 m-0 m3.1%
31Lundaloppet 5K - sweden29 m5.8 m/km26 m3 m5.5%
32Milton Keynes Marathon 5K - south-east29 m5.8 m/km61 m-32 m7.0%
33Cajun Country Run 5K - louisiana29 m5.9 m/km30 m-0 m4.2%
34Brain Freezer 5K (Burlington) - vermont30 m6.0 m/km30 m-0 m5.4%
35University of Utah Health Salt Lake City Marathon 5K - utah30 m6.1 m/km32 m-2 m6.3%
36Berlin Marathon 5K - germany31 m6.1 m/km26 m5 m7.1%
37Cedar Rapids Marathon 5K - iowa31 m6.2 m/km32 m-0 m13.8%
38Garmin New Forest Marathon 5K - south-east31 m6.3 m/km33 m-1 m6.1%
39Bend Marathon and Half 5K - oregon32 m6.4 m/km32 m0 m7.4%
40Vardaman Sweet Potato 5K Run - mississippi32 m6.4 m/km32 m0 m3.8%
41Grand Forks 10 (GF10) 5K - north-dakota33 m6.5 m/km31 m2 m8.8%
42Courses de Strasbourg Eurométropole 5K - france33 m6.7 m/km26 m7 m8.7%
43Helsinki City Marathon 5K - finland34 m6.7 m/km27 m6 m6.4%
44Naptown Half Marathon & 10K/5K - maryland35 m6.9 m/km34 m0 m9.7%
45Athens Marathon. The Authentic 5K - greece35 m7.1 m/km41 m-6 m4.4%
46Windermere Marathon (Spokane) 5K - washington36 m7.1 m/km35 m0 m4.8%
47Wisconsin Lakeside Half Marathon & 5K (Monona) - wisconsin36 m7.2 m/km36 m-0 m7.5%
48Gravel Worlds Run Series (Lincoln) 5K - nebraska37 m7.3 m/km37 m0 m6.9%
49Generali Genève Marathon 5K - switzerland37 m7.4 m/km86 m-49 m11.6%
50Montpellier Run Festival 5K - france40 m7.9 m/km41 m-2 m8.6%
51Lift Bridge Road Races 5K - minnesota40 m8.1 m/km21 m20 m13.1%
52La Course 5K (Providence) - rhode-island41 m8.2 m/km41 m0 m6.0%
53Great Smoky Mountains Half Marathon 5K - tennessee41 m8.2 m/km30 m11 m6.8%
54Omaha Marathon 5K - nebraska42 m8.3 m/km42 m-1 m8.9%
55Cisco Brewers Portsmouth 5K - new-hampshire42 m8.4 m/km42 m-0 m7.3%
56Red Rock Canyon Marathon (Las Vegas) 5K - nevada42 m8.5 m/km42 m-0 m5.9%
57BTC Vulcan Run 10K (Birmingham) 5K - alabama44 m8.8 m/km44 m-0 m11.8%
58PeaceHealth Appletree Marathon 5K - washington45 m9.0 m/km45 m0 m7.1%
59Going the Distance for Brain Injury Memorial Day Run (Kansas City) 5K - missouri45 m9.0 m/km43 m2 m4.8%
60Phoenix 10k & Half Marathon 5K - arizona45 m9.1 m/km45 m0 m7.3%
61Fayetteville Half Marathon 5K - arkansas47 m9.3 m/km47 m0 m10.4%
62La Jolla Half Marathon, 10K & 5K - california47 m9.4 m/km149 m-102 m12.6%
63Spokane River Run 5K - washington49 m9.7 m/km49 m0 m16.3%
64Lake Tahoe Marathon 5K - nevada49 m9.7 m/km51 m-2 m6.8%
65Michelob Ultra El Paso Marathon 5K - texas50 m10.0 m/km50 m0 m16.2%
66Lake Monona 20K & 5K (Monona) - wisconsin50 m10.1 m/km50 m0 m7.8%
67Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon 5K - georgia51 m10.2 m/km51 m-1 m6.3%
68Two Tunnels Railway Races 5K - south-west51 m10.2 m/km49 m2 m8.6%
69Διεθνής Ημιμαραθώνιος Κρήτης (Crete Half Marathon), Arkalochori 5K - greece52 m10.4 m/km61 m-9 m10.0%
70Rochester Regional Health Flower City Half Marathon 5K - new-york58 m11.5 m/km58 m-0 m15.0%
71Soča Outdoor Festival 5K - slovenia58 m11.2 m/km67 m-9 m11.3%
72Course de l'Escalade (Genève) 5K - switzerland59 m12.3 m/km64 m-4 m10.9%
73Flying Pig Marathon 5K - ohio59 m11.9 m/km59 m1 m9.3%
74TCS Lidingöloppet 5K - sweden61 m12.1 m/km57 m4 m9.9%
75Middlebury Maple Run 5K - vermont63 m12.5 m/km63 m-0 m10.8%
76Run the Rainbow for Children's 5K - mississippi63 m12.5 m/km63 m-0 m7.4%
77Midwest Financial Group Madison Mini Marathon 5K - wisconsin63 m12.6 m/km64 m-0 m11.4%
78Running with the Devil (Las Vegas) 5K - nevada68 m13.5 m/km68 m0 m4.9%
79Greene & Schultz Hoosier Half Marathon, 5 & 10K 5K - indiana69 m13.7 m/km69 m0 m15.8%
80Norfolk Festival of Running (King's Lynn) 5K - east-of-england69 m13.8 m/km70 m-1 m9.8%
81Run Madtown Half Marathon, 10K & 5K - wisconsin70 m14.1 m/km70 m-0 m10.5%
82SPAR Budapest Marathon 5K - hungary70 m14.1 m/km68 m2 m12.3%
83The Race Half Marathon & 5K (Atlanta) - georgia72 m14.3 m/km72 m-0 m6.3%
84Double Decker Spring Run (Oxford, MS) 5K - mississippi72 m14.3 m/km71 m0 m10.1%
85OhioHealth Capital City Half & Quarter Marathon (Columbus) 5K - ohio74 m14.9 m/km73 m2 m20.3%
86Grand-Prix von Bern 5K - switzerland80 m17.1 m/km78 m2 m17.8%
87St Albans Half Marathon 5K - east-of-england84 m16.8 m/km89 m-5 m8.9%
88Plitvički maraton (Plitvice Marathon) 5K - croatia103 m20.6 m/km103 m0 m6.9%
89Sandia Mountain Shadows Trail Run 5K - new-mexico103 m20.6 m/km114 m-11 m15.7%
90Spring Dash (Coeur d'Alene) 5K - idaho106 m21.3 m/km103 m4 m22.5%
91Vienna City Marathon 5K - austria141 m28.2 m/km132 m9 m37.8%
92Lakeland Trails Coniston Marathon, Half, Mini-10k & 5k - north-west162 m32.4 m/km162 m-1 m19.1%
93Zagori Mountain Running (ZMR) 5K - greece220 m44.0 m/km222 m-2 m70.9%
94Sljemenski Maraton (Zagreb) 5K - croatia245 m49.0 m/km248 m-2 m38.6%
95Catalina Island Marathon 5K - california254 m50.7 m/km254 m0 m39.0%
96Mohawk Mountain Race (Cornwall) 5K - connecticut425 m85.0 m/km424 m1 m40.0%
97Kia Fjällmaraton (Fjällmaratonveckan), Årefjällen 5K - sweden1,005 m201.0 m/km1 m1,003 m64.1%
7
The Woodlands Marathon 5Ktexas
Total ascent
15 m
Climb density
2.9 m/km
Descent
15 m
Net elevation
-0 m
Max absolute grade
4.6%

As of

8
Tirol läuft (Innsbruck) 5Kaustria
Total ascent
16 m
Climb density
3.1 m/km
Descent
18 m
Net elevation
-2 m
Max absolute grade
5.5%

As of

11
Idaho Falls Marathon 5Kidaho
Total ascent
19 m
Climb density
3.8 m/km
Descent
19 m
Net elevation
0 m
Max absolute grade
6.0%

As of

13
Paavo Nurmi Marathon 5Kfinland
Total ascent
20 m
Climb density
4.1 m/km
Descent
21 m
Net elevation
-1 m
Max absolute grade
5.7%

As of

14
Energa Gdańsk Maraton 5Kpoland
Total ascent
21 m
Climb density
4.2 m/km
Descent
21 m
Net elevation
1 m
Max absolute grade
8.0%

As of

16
Debrecen Maraton 5Khungary
Total ascent
21 m
Climb density
4.3 m/km
Descent
22 m
Net elevation
0 m
Max absolute grade
3.5%

As of

19
Maui Oceanfront Marathon 5Khawaii
Total ascent
23 m
Climb density
4.6 m/km
Descent
24 m
Net elevation
-0 m
Max absolute grade
4.2%

As of

20
Stormin' Norman Run 5Koklahoma
Total ascent
23 m
Climb density
4.6 m/km
Descent
23 m
Net elevation
-0 m
Max absolute grade
6.3%

As of

22
Trondheim Maraton 5Knorway
Total ascent
24 m
Climb density
4.7 m/km
Descent
23 m
Net elevation
1 m
Max absolute grade
4.8%

As of

23
Cleveland Marathon 5Kohio
Total ascent
24 m
Climb density
4.8 m/km
Descent
25 m
Net elevation
0 m
Max absolute grade
8.0%

As of

24
NN Night Run Ostrava 5Kczechia
Total ascent
24 m
Climb density
4.8 m/km
Descent
27 m
Net elevation
-3 m
Max absolute grade
4.9%

As of

25
Helvetia Half Marathon 5Koregon
Total ascent
24 m
Climb density
4.8 m/km
Descent
23 m
Net elevation
2 m
Max absolute grade
3.7%

As of

26
Sioux Falls Marathon 5Ksouth-dakota
Total ascent
24 m
Climb density
4.8 m/km
Descent
26 m
Net elevation
-2 m
Max absolute grade
4.1%

As of

27
Southampton Marathon 5Ksouth-east
Total ascent
26 m
Climb density
5.2 m/km
Descent
12 m
Net elevation
14 m
Max absolute grade
4.3%

As of

28
Maine Coast Marathon 5Kmaine
Total ascent
26 m
Climb density
5.2 m/km
Descent
26 m
Net elevation
-1 m
Max absolute grade
8.0%

As of

31
Lundaloppet 5Ksweden
Total ascent
29 m
Climb density
5.8 m/km
Descent
26 m
Net elevation
3 m
Max absolute grade
5.5%

As of

32
Milton Keynes Marathon 5Ksouth-east
Total ascent
29 m
Climb density
5.8 m/km
Descent
61 m
Net elevation
-32 m
Max absolute grade
7.0%

As of

33
Cajun Country Run 5Klouisiana
Total ascent
29 m
Climb density
5.9 m/km
Descent
30 m
Net elevation
-0 m
Max absolute grade
4.2%

As of

36
Berlin Marathon 5Kgermany
Total ascent
31 m
Climb density
6.1 m/km
Descent
26 m
Net elevation
5 m
Max absolute grade
7.1%

As of

37
Cedar Rapids Marathon 5Kiowa
Total ascent
31 m
Climb density
6.2 m/km
Descent
32 m
Net elevation
-0 m
Max absolute grade
13.8%

As of

39
Bend Marathon and Half 5Koregon
Total ascent
32 m
Climb density
6.4 m/km
Descent
32 m
Net elevation
0 m
Max absolute grade
7.4%

As of

40
Vardaman Sweet Potato 5K Runmississippi
Total ascent
32 m
Climb density
6.4 m/km
Descent
32 m
Net elevation
0 m
Max absolute grade
3.8%

As of

41
Grand Forks 10 (GF10) 5Knorth-dakota
Total ascent
33 m
Climb density
6.5 m/km
Descent
31 m
Net elevation
2 m
Max absolute grade
8.8%

As of

43
Helsinki City Marathon 5Kfinland
Total ascent
34 m
Climb density
6.7 m/km
Descent
27 m
Net elevation
6 m
Max absolute grade
6.4%

As of

49
Generali Genève Marathon 5Kswitzerland
Total ascent
37 m
Climb density
7.4 m/km
Descent
86 m
Net elevation
-49 m
Max absolute grade
11.6%

As of

50
Montpellier Run Festival 5Kfrance
Total ascent
40 m
Climb density
7.9 m/km
Descent
41 m
Net elevation
-2 m
Max absolute grade
8.6%

As of

51
Lift Bridge Road Races 5Kminnesota
Total ascent
40 m
Climb density
8.1 m/km
Descent
21 m
Net elevation
20 m
Max absolute grade
13.1%

As of

52
La Course 5K (Providence)rhode-island
Total ascent
41 m
Climb density
8.2 m/km
Descent
41 m
Net elevation
0 m
Max absolute grade
6.0%

As of

54
Omaha Marathon 5Knebraska
Total ascent
42 m
Climb density
8.3 m/km
Descent
42 m
Net elevation
-1 m
Max absolute grade
8.9%

As of

55
Cisco Brewers Portsmouth 5Knew-hampshire
Total ascent
42 m
Climb density
8.4 m/km
Descent
42 m
Net elevation
-0 m
Max absolute grade
7.3%

As of

63
Spokane River Run 5Kwashington
Total ascent
49 m
Climb density
9.7 m/km
Descent
49 m
Net elevation
0 m
Max absolute grade
16.3%

As of

64
Lake Tahoe Marathon 5Knevada
Total ascent
49 m
Climb density
9.7 m/km
Descent
51 m
Net elevation
-2 m
Max absolute grade
6.8%

As of

68
Two Tunnels Railway Races 5Ksouth-west
Total ascent
51 m
Climb density
10.2 m/km
Descent
49 m
Net elevation
2 m
Max absolute grade
8.6%

As of

71
Soča Outdoor Festival 5Kslovenia
Total ascent
58 m
Climb density
11.2 m/km
Descent
67 m
Net elevation
-9 m
Max absolute grade
11.3%

As of

73
Flying Pig Marathon 5Kohio
Total ascent
59 m
Climb density
11.9 m/km
Descent
59 m
Net elevation
1 m
Max absolute grade
9.3%

As of

74
TCS Lidingöloppet 5Ksweden
Total ascent
61 m
Climb density
12.1 m/km
Descent
57 m
Net elevation
4 m
Max absolute grade
9.9%

As of

75
Middlebury Maple Run 5Kvermont
Total ascent
63 m
Climb density
12.5 m/km
Descent
63 m
Net elevation
-0 m
Max absolute grade
10.8%

As of

82
SPAR Budapest Marathon 5Khungary
Total ascent
70 m
Climb density
14.1 m/km
Descent
68 m
Net elevation
2 m
Max absolute grade
12.3%

As of

86
Grand-Prix von Bern 5Kswitzerland
Total ascent
80 m
Climb density
17.1 m/km
Descent
78 m
Net elevation
2 m
Max absolute grade
17.8%

As of

87
St Albans Half Marathon 5Keast-of-england
Total ascent
84 m
Climb density
16.8 m/km
Descent
89 m
Net elevation
-5 m
Max absolute grade
8.9%

As of

91
Vienna City Marathon 5Kaustria
Total ascent
141 m
Climb density
28.2 m/km
Descent
132 m
Net elevation
9 m
Max absolute grade
37.8%

As of

95
Catalina Island Marathon 5Kcalifornia
Total ascent
254 m
Climb density
50.7 m/km
Descent
254 m
Net elevation
0 m
Max absolute grade
39.0%

As of

97 qualifying races in this ranking; use the distance catalogue to search the full distance list. Scores are out of 100 when present; route, elevation and cost figures are shown in their natural units.

How we ranked these

Races are ranked by Total ascent. Score metrics use methodology scoring-methodology-v1.0. Elevation rankings use only trusted raw-elevation course profiles. A ranking is only published when at least five races qualify, so the table is never padded with thin data.

See exactly how each figure is calculated →

Route maps for this ranking

How we calculated this

Published facts and derived model outputs on this page are tied to stored sources or a published, version-locked methodology. We show the provenance so runners, coaches and organisers can check it. Data on this page is current as of .

Derived numbers use scoring-methodology-v1.0.

Sources used on this page (99)

Read the full methodology →

Common questions

What is the lowest ascent 5ks?

St. Croix Crossing Half Marathon 5K ranks first by total ascent, from 97 qualifying races compared under our published methodology.