United Financial Freeland Walleye Races 5K/10K

United Financial Credit Union is once again proud to present the 17th Annual Freeland Walleye Festival Race for 2026!  Join several hundred participants in running and/or walking USATF sanctioned 10k and 5k Freeland Rail Trail/road courses and a Kid’s Fun Run. 

Included with entry:

Awesome custom finisher medals
Race t-shirt
Professional timing results
Free online finisher photograph
This year’s race is limited to 450 participants.
 
This race is organized as part of the 40th annual Freeland Walleye Festival through a joint effort between United Financial Credit Union, Dig Deep Race Events, Walleye Festival Organizers and Tittabawassee Township with proceeds being placed back into the Freeland community through the Freeland Lions Club, a 501c3 nonprofit organization.  

Date:  Sunday, April 26, 2026

Start Times:  

Kid’s Fun Run start - 8:45AM
10K start - 9:30AM
5K Run/Walk start - 9:35AM
5K Fun Walk (untimed) start - 9:36AM
Location:  Freeland SportsZone, 5690 Midland Rd, Freeland, MI 48623

Prices:
This year, participants may choose to save $5 by opting out of the shirt at registration. The “with shirt” option will end at Midnight, Sunday, April 19. Guaranteed shirt sizes for those opting to register with shirt are available ONLY until midnight, Sunday, April 19. The following day shirts will be ordered and inventories placed in the registration system. Once inventory for any shirt size is depleted then that size will become unavailable. Please note that shirts not picked up before close of packet pickup will be forfeit by registrant and will not be refunded. If unable to attend event it is the responsibility of the registrant to have someone pick up their items or to arrange alternate pickup prior to the event.

10K Run

$35.00 with shirt
$30.00 no shirt
5K Run/Walk

$35.00 with shirt
$30.00 no shirt
5K Fun Walk (Untimed)

$30.00 with shirt
$25.00 no shirt
Youth (13 & Under) 5K Run/Walk**

$25.00 with shirt
$20.00 no shirt
Kid’s Fun Run*

***Please note that all Kids Run youth participants must be accompanied by a parent or guardian when running the 1 mile event

Packet Pickup and Late Registration:
 
Saturday, April 25 - 2:00PM to 4:00PM at Bayne’s Apple Valley, 5395 Midland Rd, Freeland, MI
Sunday, April 26 - 8:00AM to 9:15AM at Freeland SportsZone
NOTE: Runsignup charges a nominal fee to participants when registering. We just don’t want you to be surprised when you go to register online!

T-Shirts 

T-shirts sizes are guaranteed ONLY to those who register for the “with shirt” option online on or before midnight on Sunday, April 19! These shirts are of high quality and will be available in unisex, ladies cut, or youth sizes. Click on links below for sizing details.

Shirt Sizes Available 

Small
Medium
Large
Extra Large
2XL
Ladies Cut Small
Ladies Cut Medium
Ladies Cut Large
Ladies Cut Extra Large
Youth Small
Youth Medium
Youth Large

Times and Timing: 
The 5K and 10K Run/Walk event will be timed in accordance with USATF sanctioning requirements.

5K and 10K Age Groups/Divisions:

9 & Under
10-14
15-19
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 & over
Awards
OVERALL AWARDS

Awards will be provided 3 deep to overall male and female winners of the 5K and 10K events. In addition overall winners will receive free entry to next year’s Walleye Festival Event in the category they win. 2nd Place overall finishers will receive 50% off and 3rd Place overall finishers will receive 25% off entry to the event the following year. Finish times for this year’s event for overall awards will be determined by “gun” start and chip finish.

Age group awards will be issued to the first place male and female (FIRST PLACE ONLY) in the following 10 year categories:

14 & Under
15-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70+
NOTE: All participants will receive high quality finisher medals at the finish line upon completion of their event! 

Results
Both actual and adjusted results from Great Lakes Race Management will be displayed at the event and will be posted at DIGDEEPRACES.COM within 48 hours of race completion.

Volunteers
Interested in volunteering? Events like this can’t be successful without great volunteers! Sign up at the link at the top of this page and we’ll be in touch.

FAQ’s 
Can I run with my dog?

We love dogs too! Unfortunately, the sanctioning body for this event (USA Track & Field) strictly prohibits the participation of dogs (other than service animals) at events.

Can I run/walk with a stroller?

The narrow racecourse utilizing out and back runner traffic on the Freeland Rail Trail means that we cannot allow strollers. 

What does “USATF Sanctioning” mean?

It means that organizers have followed a process with USA Track & Field that requires creation of a safety plan and purchase of outstanding insurance covering participants, volunteers, sponsors, partners and organizers of the event. It also means that your race results will be official for scoring purposes (assuming you track that sort of thing).

What happens if the event is cancelled? Will I receive a refund?

Unfortunately, no. We’ve had to wait this long for registration to open because we wanted to be reasonably sure the event will take place. At this point, most of the registration money has been allocated to shirts, medals, race bibs, etc. and this weird year’s financial toll on race management means that refunds will not be possible should the event be forced to become virtual due to safety reasons or government mandates.

How will overall winners be determined? Finish times for this year’s event for overall awards will be determined by gun start and chip finish.

Refund and Transfer Policy
We completely understand that plans change and athletes will sometimes be unable to compete in an event they've signed up for.  We also understand that registering for one of our events is a financial investment in that race. We accept your registration funds with the full intention of putting on the promised event with the listed amenities and we use your registration funds to pay for the necessary items and services needed to host the event. With that in mind, refunds will not be provided for this event unless the event is cancelled for reasons within our control.  The following are examples (but not limited to) of reasons an event might be canceled that are NOT within our control: Dangerous weather; natural disasters; pandemics; acts of terrorism; local emergencies; government mandates; and any situation creating a threat to safety of participants, volunteers, staff or bystanders.

Should an athlete have an injury or other medical issue keeping them from competing in an event they've registered for, we would be happy to transfer their registration to a similar Dig Deep Race Events-owned event up to and including the same event the following season.  A doctor's slip may be required as proof of injury or ailment.  Failure to provide proof if requested will result in non-transfer of the event.

Transferring registrations to other runners/athletes is NOT allowed.