MLK 5K RETURNS TO COLUMBUS JAN. 16

Olympic Gold Medalist Aaliyah Butler to Serve as Grand Marshal

After a two-year hiatus, the Courier Eco Latino Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “MLK 5K” Run/Walk is returning to Columbus on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2027, bringing together fitness, fellowship, history and community unity in celebration of the enduring legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The race will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center. Registration is $30 per participant.

The MLK 5K will serve as the official kickoff to the Columbus Consolidated Government’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Lives Celebration, an annual free community event honoring King’s life, leadership and commitment to equality, justice and opportunity for all.

More Than a Race

The Courier Eco Latino MLK 5K has always been about more than crossing a finish line.

It is a community gathering designed to promote health, wellness, unity, Black history and civic engagement while encouraging young people and families to embrace the principles King championed throughout his life.

After being absent for two years, the return of the MLK 5K represents a renewed commitment to bringing people from throughout Columbus and the surrounding communities together — not simply to remember King, but to continue the work his legacy calls us to do.

Olympic Gold Medalist Aaliyah Butler Named Grand Marshal

Adding to the excitement of this year's celebration, Olympic gold medalist Aaliyah Butler will serve as Grand Marshal of the 2027 MLK 5K.

Butler was a member of the United States women's 4x400-meter relay team that captured Olympic gold in Paris. A professional Nike athlete and one of the nation's premier 400-meter runners, Butler became the U.S. national champion in the women's 400 meters in July.

She most recently ran the anchor leg of Team USA's mixed 4x400-meter relay in Budapest, Hungary, helping the United States capture another gold medal at the Ultimate Championships.

A recent graduate of the University of Georgia, Butler's appearance will provide participants — particularly young people — an opportunity to see firsthand what can be achieved through discipline, perseverance, preparation and determination.

Race Awards

Awards will be presented to the first-, second- and third-place overall male and female finishers, as well as the first-place Masters male and female finishers. Awards also will be presented in 10-year age groups through age 70 and older.

Race Date: Saturday, Jan. 16, 2027
Start Time: 9 a.m.
Finish: Columbus Convention and Trade Center
Registration: $30
Grand Marshal: Olympic Gold Medalist Aaliyah Butler

The Dream Still Lives

The MLK 5K is presented in partnership with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Lives Celebration, a signature Columbus event created to invigorate King's spirit and apply the principles he championed to the challenges facing communities today.

Through music, talent, presentations, speakers and community participation, the Dream Lives Celebration demonstrates that King's message of equality, service, justice, unity and opportunity remains as relevant today as ever.

Dr. King dreamed of the Beloved Community — a community in which people of different backgrounds could come together around their common humanity.

On Jan. 16, Columbus will put that vision into motion.

One Dream. One Community. One Future.

The MLK 5K is back — and Columbus is invited to run, walk and celebrate together.