Race guide · Washington DC
Cherry Blossom 10 Miler: Course, Entry and Race Day Guide
What is the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler?
The Cherry Blossom 10 Miler is the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, a spring road race in Washington, DC, that starts on the Washington Monument Grounds and raises money for Children's Miracle Network.12 The 2027 race is Sunday, April 4, with a 5K on Saturday, April 3, and entry is by lottery.123
| Detail | What the organizer lists |
|---|---|
| 10 Mile | Sunday, April 4, 2027: elite women 7:18 a.m., main start 7:30 a.m., Washington Monument Grounds.2 |
| 5K Run-Walk | Saturday, April 3, 2027, 9:15 a.m.1 |
| Kids Run | Saturday, April 3, 2027, 11 a.m.; $15, capped at 700, first come first served from January 25, 2027.3 |
| Lottery | Opens 10 a.m. December 14, 2026; closes at midnight January 5, 2027; results by email by January 11, 2027.3 |
| Entry fees | 10 Mile $67, 5K $47, Double Blossom (both races) $114, before processing fees.3 |
| Time limit | 2 hours 20 minutes from when you cross the start line; the finish closes at 10:20 a.m.6 That is a 14-minute-mile pace.4 |
| 5K time limit | 75 minutes from the start line.6 |
| Packet pickup | National Building Museum, 401 F St NW: Friday, April 2, 1 to 7:45 p.m.; Saturday, April 3, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. No race-day pickup for the 10 Mile.7 |
| Refunds | None, and no deferrals for 2027; optional Race Protection at registration covers listed reasons.18 |
| Minimum age | None for the 10 Mile.4 |
| Beneficiary | Children's Miracle Network.1 |
Independent guide: Bib Scouts is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organizers or brands named here.Trademark and affiliation notice
When is the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler?
The Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile is Sunday, April 4, 2027, starting at 7:30 a.m. on the Washington Monument Grounds in Washington, DC.2 Entry is by lottery, which opens at 10 a.m. on December 14, 2026 and closes January 5, 2027; the 10 Mile costs $67 before processing fees.3
How do you get into the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler?
- Enter the lottery between 10 a.m. on December 14, 2026 and midnight on January 5, 2027. It covers the 10 Mile, the 5K and the Double Blossom, and you will hear by email by January 11, 2027.3
- Choose your race carefully: switching between events is not allowed in 2027, and 2027 is the first year the 5K is also drawn by lottery.4
- If you have run the race enough to join the 100 Mile Club, you have guaranteed entry in 2027 at the normal fee.3
- If you were turned down in both the 2025 and 2026 lotteries, you qualify as a Two-Time Loser and get guaranteed entry.3
- No lottery luck? Charity entry is open to runners who raise $500 for Children's Miracle Network; the race will post charity dates after the lottery.5
- Entries cannot be refunded or deferred for 2027.1 The FAQ lists a February window for transferring an entry to someone you know or to the waitlist; the 5K has no waitlist.4
What is the course like?
The 10 Mile starts on the Washington Monument Grounds, with runners in six corrals of about 3,500 each.2 Running USA describes it as a flat, fast course past the major monuments in Washington, and it hosted the USATF 10 Mile Championships for the fourth year in a row in 2026.9
The time limit is strict because the National Park Service limits how long roads can be closed: runners who have not reached the 5-mile mark on a 14-minute-mile pace are taken off the course.4
Training and pacing for the 10 Miler
The time limit sets your minimum pace: the course closes 2 hours 20 minutes after you cross the start, which is 14 minutes per mile, and runners not at the 5-mile mark on that pace are taken off the course.46 If you expect to finish near that limit, train for 13-minute miles to leave yourself a buffer.
The table shows the 10-mile finish time at each even pace, so you can set a goal and train at it. Ten miles is 16.09 kilometers.
| Pace per mile | Pace per km | 10-mile finish | Against the time limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 | 4:21 | 1:10:00 | Inside the limit |
| 8:00 | 4:58 | 1:20:00 | Inside the limit |
| 9:00 | 5:36 | 1:30:00 | Inside the limit |
| 10:00 | 6:13 | 1:40:00 | Inside the limit |
| 11:00 | 6:50 | 1:50:00 | Inside the limit |
| 12:00 | 7:27 | 2:00:00 | Inside the limit |
| 13:00 | 8:05 | 2:10:00 | Inside the limit |
| 14:00 | 8:42 | 2:20:00 | Right at the 2:20 limit |
- 15K race day checklist: fueling and pacing for 9.3 miles
- 5K race day checklist, for the Cherry Blossom 5K
Will the cherry trees be in bloom on race day?
It depends on the year. The National Park Service defines peak bloom as the day 70% of the Yoshino cherry blossoms are open, and it has ranged from March 15 (1990) to April 18 (1958).10 In 2026, peak bloom came on March 26.10
With the 2027 race on April 4, plan for anything from full bloom to falling petals, and check the Park Service's Bloom Watch in March.210
How big is the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler?
The 2026 race set an event record with 20,083 finishers in the 10 Mile, up from the 2025 record of 19,607, and 6,683 runners finished the 5K.9
Packet pickup and race weekend
Bibs are picked up at the National Building Museum, 401 F St NW, on Friday, April 2, from 1 to 7:45 p.m. and Saturday, April 3, from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.7 There is no pickup on race morning for the 10 Mile, and bib numbers are emailed in late March.7
Run both days with the Double Blossom: the Saturday 5K plus the Sunday 10 Mile for $114.13
Sources
Every fact above links to the page it came from. Pages were read on the “facts checked” date in the byline.
- Credit Union Cherry Blossom: Home (cherryblossom.org)
- Credit Union Cherry Blossom: 10 Mile (cherryblossom.org)
- Credit Union Cherry Blossom: Lottery entry (cherryblossom.org)
- Credit Union Cherry Blossom: FAQs (cherryblossom.org)
- Credit Union Cherry Blossom: Charity entry (cherryblossom.org)
- Credit Union Cherry Blossom: Time limits (cherryblossom.org)
- Credit Union Cherry Blossom: Packet pickup (cherryblossom.org)
- Credit Union Cherry Blossom: Race Protection (cherryblossom.org)
- Running USA: El Youssfi and Ayichew win Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile (runningusa.org)
- National Park Service: Bloom Watch (nps.gov)
Marathons and half marathons in Washington on Bib Scouts
The next long-distance races in Washington listed on Bib Scouts, with today’s lowest marathon or half marathon entry fee from each race’s registration listing.
| Date | Race | Distances | Fee today |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2027 | WALKING TOGETHER. A Walk to End Breast Cancer | Half marathon | $50 |
| Sep 18, 2027 | DC Half Races | Half marathon | $95 |
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