The racing Sunday in Columbus has gotten even bigger.
By Roger “Rock” Lockridge, Managing Editor
Many fitness enthusiasts and sports fans follow the Arnold Sports Festival because of the action that the Greater Columbus Convention Center hosts on the Friday and Saturday of the annual weekend. A hidden jewel of the weekend is actually what happens on the Sunday morning after the bodybuilding and strongman events have concluded.
Sunday at the Arnold could be called Race Day thanks to the annual 5k series of races that are held on the streets of the Columbus area. This series includes the foundational Arnold 5k as well as the popular Pump & Run, which calls for athletes to bench press all or a portion of their bodyweight for max reps in exchange for bonus time that goes on to their 5k run later that morning. Firsthand experience three times over confirms that there is a special energy that permeates throughout the group, even on a late winter morning in Ohio.
These events do more than promote running. It gives the people participating a small and direct connection to the big weekend by validating they were athletes at “The Arnold.”
Race Director David Babner said, “The Arnold Sports Festival represents the very best in strength, performance and community, and we’re proud to create an opportunity for participants to take on their own challenge as part of that experience.”
M3S Sports is proud to produce the Arnold 5K and Pump & Run every year and hosted around 1,800 athletes in 2025. They are now stepping up even more by adding a new event, the “Arnold Ruck.”
NEW CHALLENGE FOR ALL ATHLETES
For those that are new to the concept, rucking is walking with weights in a backpack or “rucksack” as it is called. It has been common in the military for years but has grown in popularity among the general fitness community. It has become a viable option for people that don’t like running or want to stay active while adding a form of resistance to their cardio.
Athletes that participate in the inaugural Arnold Ruck will have to wear a rucksack, weighted vest, or carry the equivalent of 15 pounds during the 5k event.
An event of this magnitude required a big partner, which is where GORUCK steps in. Founded in 2008 by Jason McCarthy, a former Green Beret, the company started by making a single backpack (the GR1) and eventually grew into a massive subculture of its own, as well as different rucksacks. Thanks to M3S Sports as well as GORUCK serving as an official partner, Sunday at the Arnold has gotten even bigger. Between the standard 5k, the Pump & Run, and now the Ruck event, the Arnold Sports Festival is closing in on a sellout of 3,000 athletes in total participating.
“Rucking has grown tremendously over the past few years. It’s accessible, it builds strength and endurance, and it brings people together,” Babner explained. “Launching the inaugural Ruck during Arnold weekend allows us to meet that growing demand and give participants another exciting way to test themselves while being part of the festival atmosphere.”
The 2026 Arnold 5k series will be held on Sunday, March 8. Athletes and fitness enthusiasts that are looking for a new challenge to embrace or an opportunity to be a part of the action in Columbus next year can learn more by going to www.arnold5k.com.
Muscle Insider’s contest coverage of the 2026 Arnold Sports Festival is proudly sponsored by MUTANT. Check out their full lineup of high-performance supplements at mutantnation.com and on Instagram @mutantnation.
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