Ocala Kids Run 2026 Results: 133 Finish, Belleview Middle Runners Sweep

A field of 133 children ages 3 to 14 crossed the finish line at the 2nd Annual Ocala Kids Run on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at the Baseline Road Trailhead in southeast Ocala. The free, chip-timed one-mile fun run is presented by the Ocala Distance Project, and both overall winners — Owen Plotner, 13, and Twyla Martin, 12 — run cross country for Belleview Middle School, according to organizers.

Ocala Kids Run 2026: Top 10 Finishers

Chip times as posted by Radical Runs. Complete results for all 133 finishers are on RunSignUp.

Two Belleview Middle School Runners Sweep the Titles

Owen Plotner, 13, took the overall win in 6 minutes, 35 seconds, while Twyla Martin, 12, was the first girl across the line and third overall in 6:57. Organizers say both run cross country for Belleview Middle School, giving the Rattlers a sweep of the top titles at a race field drawn mostly from Ocala, with finishers also arriving from Summerfield, Belleview, Dunnellon, Ocklawaha, Citra, Morriston and Brooksville.

Race Day: Bibs, Chip Timing and Cookies at the Finish

Now in its second year, the Ocala Kids Run kept the format that made its debut a hit: free entry, a custom race bib for every registered runner, and RFID chip timing handled by Radical Runs. A photographer worked the course and finish line, and families could add an event T-shirt at registration or buy one on-site from leftover stock. Every finisher received a medal and a cookie at the finish — true to the race's no-frills, kid-first spirit, the medals were pulled from Radical Runs' leftover stock from its other local races rather than a custom order, keeping the event free for families.

About the Ocala Distance Project

The Ocala Distance Project, the youth running program presenting the Kids Run, is approaching its 10th year developing distance runners in Marion County. Athletes who have come through the program have gone on to state championships, All-American honors and NCAA Division I running, and the club's depth was on display again at the 2025 Marion Conference Cross Country Championships, where ODP-trained runners took 8 of the top 10 boys' spots and 5 of the top 7 girls' spots.

A Family Push to Grow Running in Ocala

The Ocala Distance Project and Radical Runs are both part of an effort by Darrin DeTorres, along with his fiancée Maria Lorito and daughter Silvie, to introduce and grow running throughout the community — from free youth events like the Kids Run to the adult races on the Run Ocala Race Series calendar.

Part of a Growing Racing Scene

The Kids Run's turnout adds to a pattern across Marion County's running calendar this year: the Retro Run 5K grew from 146 finishers in 2025 to 180 in 2026, and multiple other local races have posted record fields in 2026. Organizers point to the Kids Run's 133 finishers, up from nearly 100 in its debut year, as another sign of that growth.

Complete results, including age-group breakdowns, are posted on RunSignUp.

Disclosure: Only In Ocala is published by Darrin DeTorres, who directs the Ocala Kids Run through Radical Runs and coaches the Ocala Distance Project. Finish times and finisher counts in this report come from the official chip-timed results posted on RunSignUp; participation and event details were provided by organizers.