Mardi Gras Madness 5K

Mardi Gras Madness 5K

Race Route:
Route changed to an out and back race. 

Start & End = Corner of West Pujo Street & Pithon Street. Travel South on Pithon Street and turn left onto Kirby Street. Travel East on Kirby Street. Turn right onto Ryan Street and travel south. Run along parade route on Ryan Street. Turn around at 17th Street (near Casa Manana). Return back to start via Ryan Street then turn left onto East Kirby Street, right onto Pithon Street to Finish.

This race route coincides with the Children's Mardi Gras parade route. The course travels along the parade route. The energy from the crowd along the route is motivating and joyful.

Registration:
$30 = January 6-31, 2026
$35 = February 1 - February 11, 2026

$40 = Race day registration on Sunday, February 15, 2026

T-shirt guarantee cut off: Sunday, 1/31/26 (Be sure to register early to guarantee a race shirt!)

Online registration closes Wednesday, 2/11/26 at 11:59PM

Age based pricing: Registration fees for registrants 65 years or older is discounted. T-shirts are not provided to registrants in this category. If you would like a shirt, purchase a shirt as an "Add-on" before checkout.

$40 = Race day registration on Sunday, February 15, 2026

Packet Pick-Up:

Friday, February 13, 2026

TBD

Sunday, February 15, 2026

Where: Police Jury Parking lot, 110 West Kirby Street. Parking lot between Pithon Street & Ryan Street. Near the corner of West Pujo Street & Pithon Street. 

When: 12:30PM - 3:30PM

Look for the blue Lake Area Runner's tent in the parking lot.

Important note = Registered participants need photo identification. Proxy pickup is allowed for immediate family members, husband/wife/sibling, with identification. 

Race day schedule:

****ATTN: Race day schedule may change due to the start time of the Children's parade.****
12:30PM - Packet pickup and race day registration opens
1:15PM - Packet pickup and race day registration closes
1:25PM - Pre-race meeting

1:30PM - All runners must report to the start line

2:00PM - Race begins. 
3:30PM - Awards & post race food                                                                              

Race begins = 2:00PM  *Be prepared if start is slightly earlier!!

Awards:

Overall Male & Female  = King Cake + king and queen presentation

Age Group = Top male & female (1st & 2nd) in the following age groups 5-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70 +

T-shirts:

T-shirts are guaranteed to those who register by January 31, 2026. Those who registered after deadline may pick up shirts after race on a first come first serve basis. 

Post race food and fun:

Finish food includes boudin, King cakes, and beverages. The parade will begin immediately following the race. Stick around for parade and beads! Post race food and fun.

Refund Policy:

Entry fees are NON-REFUNDABLE. Once we receive and accept your entry, you will not receive a refund if you cannot participate.

There are absolutely NO refunds, deferrals, or bib exchanges.

Lake Area Runners does not issue refunds if the event is cancelled due to circumstances out of our control such as: Acts of God, weather conditions, public health emergencies, acts of terrorism, etc.

We work incredibly hard to put on our races and we personally understand the training and hard work our runners undergo, so the last thing we’d ever want to do is have to cancel. We will run, rain or shine! Your safety as well as our volunteers is our utmost priority. If we foresee dangerous conditions that warrant cancellation, we will update you as soon as a decision is made via email and on our FaceBook page.

Cancellation:
This race route coincides with the Children's Mardi Gras parade route. If the City of Lake Charles/ Mardi Gras Association/ or other determines the route is unsafe for any reason (weather, or other) and cancels the parade route event, Lake Area Runners will be required to cancel the Mardi Gras Madness 5K.

If race is cancelled, notifications of cancellation will be posted to the @LakeAreaRunners and @LakeAreaRunnersForum sites on Facebook.

Parking:

Parking available at the Lake Charles Event Center. Limited parking available in the Policy Jury lot on Pithon Street. Do not park on Pithon Street, Kirby Street, nor West Pujo Street!

Lake Area Runners Events:

Mardi Gras Madness 5K is Sunday, February 15, 2026
LAR Leprechan 3 miler is Saturday, March 14, 2026 - formerly Athlete's Corner 3 miler 
Contraband 5 miler is Saturday, May 2, 2026
4 miler on the 4th is Saturday, July 4, 2026
Swamp Stomp Half Marathon & 1 mile kids run is Saturday, December 12, 2026