Clare Irish Festival Road Race

Join us for the Clare Irish Festival Road Race on Saturday, March 14th, 2026. This will also mark the 51st year for the Clare Irish Festival! 

This year's race will again begin at Clare High School!!  The Clare High School address is: 306 Schoolcrest Ave. Clare, MI 48617

The race features a 5K Run, 10K Run, and 2 Mile Walk.  The 10K Run will start at 9:00am, the 5K run will start at 9:05am, and the 2 Mile walk will begin at 9:15am.  All races will feature chip timing for both the start and the finish.  The start/finish line is in front of Clare High School.  T-Shirts are limited to the first 400 participants to sign up, and each participant in the 5K, 10K, or 2 Mile walk will also receive a free pancake breakfast. 

Early packet pick-up and registration is from 6:00-8:00pm at the Clare High School Cafeteria on Friday, March 13th, 2026.  Please enter through the High School cafeteria doors.  Race day registration begins at 7:15am and ends at 8:45am on Saturday, March 14th, 2026 at Clare High School in Clare, MI.  Registration will end promptly at 8:45am to ensure a 9:00am start.

Online Registration on this website will end at 11:59pm on Wednesday, March 11th, 2026.  After that point- all registration will need to occur in person at either the early packet pick-up/registration on Friday, March 13, 2026 or on the morning of the race on Saturday, March 14, 2026.  Participants who pre-register by 3/11/2026 at 11:59pm will receive the rate of $25.  The entry fee will be $30 after 3/11/26. Mailed entries will need to be postmarked by 3/7/26 to receive the $25 entry fee.  We've held off as long as possible on raising our race prices, but continued rising costs have forced us to make this change. Our race is entirely a fundraiser for our running programs in Clare- and as our race proceeds have continued to drop each year because of increasing costs-we've now found that it is necessary to move prices up.  We apologize for any inconvenience and hope that you understand.  

A free Kid's Run will take place at 10:45am, with kids running a 1/2 mile.  Registration will take place on the morning of the race (3/15/25) until 10:15am.  The kids will gather in the Clare High School lobby between 10:15-10:30am.   We may divide the race into 2 smaller races if there are a large numbers of kids that sign up for the race. There is no early sign up for the Kids Run online or on Friday.  Kids will receive a t-shirt, medal, and coupon for a free cookie from J.T. Farms of Clare. 

Extra Information:  Changing Facilities are available at Clare High School.  No time will be recorded for participants who choose to walk the 10K Run.  No refunds will be issued.  Participants may not run or walk with dogs.  Participants may run with baby strollers, but will be asked to start near the back of the start line for safety precautions.  Extra banquet tickets for non-participants may be purchased in the Clare High School cafeteria on the morning of the race for $5.  Breakfast in the cafeteria will close at 11am. 

A big thank you goes out to our race sponsors:  MyMichigan Health, Mercantile Bank, Clare Family Fitness, Clare Hometown Chiropractic, Jay's Sporting Goods, JT Farms, Subway of Clare, Members First Credit Union, Blackburn RV & Trailer Service, Witbeck's Family Foods, and Precision Screenprinting.

For more information, please contact the race directors at the information listed below.  E-mails will receive quicker responses. 

Kyle McKown  kmckown@clare.k12.mi.us (517) 581-0810 or

Adam Burhans aburhans@clare.k12.mi.us (989) 400-2130

Additional information about the Clare Irish Festival may be viewed at https://www.claremichigan.com/irish-festival/

Please visit and like our Clare Irish Festival Road Race at: 

https://www.facebook.com/Clare-Irish-Festival-Road-Race-1010545789057616/

Road Race Map Links

*You may have to click on the black box in the upper right hand corner of the map in order to view the course map*

5K Run Map:  http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/592122946

10K Run Map:  http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/600656552

2 Mile Walk Map: http://www.mapmywalk.com/routes/view/592124180

Awards: Medals will be awarded to the top 3 finishers in each age group.  Age groups are listed below.  Plaques will be awarded to the overall top finishing male and females, top finishing male/female master's (Age 50 & Over), and top finishing Male/Female Youth (Ages 14 & Under). No awards will be given out for the 2 mile walk*  The awards presentation will take place at 11am in the Clare High School gym.  The results will be posted at: https://www.itsyourrace.com/search.aspx and  http://www.race-mrm.com/results.cfm

5K Run, 10K Run, 2 Mile Walk Age Groups*

12 And Under

13-15

16-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69 

70-74

75-79

80 & Up

Waiver:  I assume all risks associated with participating in this event including, but not limited to: falls, contact with other participants or spectators or animals, the effects of the weather, traffic, and conditions of the race course, all such risks being known and appreciated by me.  Having read this waiver and knowing these facts, and in consideration of this entry being accepted, I, for myself and anyone entitled to act on my behalf, waive and release the Clare Irish Festival Road Race, sponsors, supporters, officials, the race directors and volunteers, Clare Public Schools, and the City of Clare from all claims or liabilities of any kind that may arise on the part of the persons named in this waiver.  I agree that my photo may be taken and used without my consent and without compensation.  Thank you.