This isn’t your normal 5K. Actually, it’s not even a 5K.
The Going Bananas Run Rochester is a roughly three-mile fun run where hundreds of people take over the trails of Rochester dressed head to toe as bananas. Yes, bananas.
Run it. Walk it. Bring the kids. Get a group of friends together. Try to win the whole thing. We really don’t care how you do it. The whole point is to have a ridiculously fun time while raising money for a great local cause.
Every registration comes with your very own banana suit to wear during the run and take home afterward.
You’ll also get entry into the Gorilla Challenge and access to the post-race celebration.
We’ll have serious runners at the front, walkers in the back, families, friend groups, coworkers, and plenty of people who signed up mostly because running through Rochester dressed as a banana sounded too funny to pass up.
Here’s where things get interesting.
All of the bananas start first. Two minutes later, we release the Gorilla.
Then it’s a race to the finish.
Cross the finish line before the Gorilla catches you and you’ll earn the coveted “I Beat the Gorilla” finisher prize.
Get caught? No big deal. The Gorilla Challenge is completely optional and mostly exists to make the run more fun. It also helps us raise even more money for a local nonprofit, so the faster you run, the more good we can do.
Crossing the finish line doesn’t mean you have to head home.
Stick around for food and drinks, sponsor activities, awards, photos, and a few hundred people standing around Rochester in banana suits wondering how this became their Saturday.
So grab your friends. Bring the family. Convince your coworkers. Build a banana squad.
Try to beat the Gorilla. Help us raise some money. Have a great time.
And if you need one more reason to sign up...
When else are you going to get the chance to run through Rochester dressed as a banana? 🍌
Want more fun? Join one of our other 2 locations to get the full Banana experience
Twin Cities - May 8th | Rochester - May 22nd | Duluth - June 5th
May 22, 2027
Distance — 4.8K
Type — Running
10:00
$25.00
These values represent the 3-year monthly averages for May in Rochester.
Learn more about the host city, Rochester.
Rochester is a city in and the county seat of Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States. It is located along rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota. The population was 121,395 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 124,292 in 2025, making it the third-most populous city in Minnesota. The Rochester metropolitan area has an estimated 230,000 residents. The city is the home and birthplace of Mayo Clinic.
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