Nick Blaser, Cogent Bank's Market President for North Central Florida, shows off the Ocala Cup trophy at the inaugural 2025 race. Year two adds the Sunrise to Sunset Challenge with Kimberly's Center for Child Protection.
Sports
2026-04-225 min readSunrise to Sunset: Two Ocala 5Ks, One Day, One Medal Most Runners Will Never Earn
This is a sports news article published on 2026-04-22 covering local Marion County, Florida news. On Saturday, April 25, Ocala runs from dawn to dusk. Kimberly's Race Against Child Abuse kicks off at 8 AM in Calesa Township; the second-annual Cogent Bank Ocala Cup 5K closes Citizens' Circle ten hours later at 6 PM. Finish both and the exclusive Sunrise to Sunset medal is yours.
Updated 2 months ago
By Only In Ocala Team
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Ocala runners are about to pull off something the city has never tried before.
On Saturday, April 25, two standalone 5Ks — one in the morning, one at sunset — are joining forces as a single, day-long test of community and endurance. Anyone who crosses both finish lines walks away with a medal that exists nowhere else: the Sunrise to Sunset Challenge commemorative.
"Two races are merging into one challenge," Cogent Bank's Nick Blaser said in a promo video filmed with Kimberly's Center for Child Protection Executive Director Dawn Westgate. "Ocala hasn't seen anything like this."
The morning belongs to Kimberly's Race Against Child Abuse, starting at 8:00 AM at Ina A. Colen Academy inside Calesa Township (5080 SW 66th Ct Rd). The race benefits Kimberly's Center, which serves roughly 1,400 Marion County children a year recovering from abuse, and has helped more than 22,000 kids over the past two decades. Every one of the first 850 registered runners gets a Tonka-inspired toy-truck finisher medal — a nod to the work the center does for children — plus a guaranteed event shirt or tank.
Ten hours later, the course shifts downtown. The second-annual Cogent Bank Ocala Cup 5K launches from Citizens' Circle at 6:00 PM, sending runners through the rolling streets of historic downtown Ocala as the sun drops behind the oaks. Every finisher gets a stained-glass-inspired sunset-themed medal, and the top male and female finishers get their names engraved on the coveted Ocala Cup trophy — plus a $100 gift card from The Running Elements.
Runners who complete both races earn the third medal — the Sunrise to Sunset Challenge — awarded only to those who cross both finish lines on April 25.
The Ocala Cup is the brainchild of Nick Blaser, EVP and Market President at Cogent Bank's Ocala Banking Center at 4 SE Broadway Street. Cogent opened its downtown Ocala branch in 2024, and Blaser launched the inaugural Ocala Cup that same year as a signature community event — something that would tie the bank's identity to the streets it sits on.
Year one produced a trophy with "2025 Inaugural Year" engraved on its base and a city full of runners who turned up for a new race on a new course. Year two is where the concept grows up.
Partnering with Kimberly's Center turns the Ocala Cup from a feel-good community run into something with stakes. One in four children will be victims of abuse or neglect by age 18, according to statistics cited by Kimberly's Center. The organization's forensic interviewers, child advocates, and trauma-specialized therapists are the reason those kids begin healing instead of being re-traumatized by the system meant to help them.
"I'm Dawn Westgate with Kimberly's Center for Child Protection," Westgate said in the promo. "Join us that same morning for our Race Against Child Abuse at 8:00 AM at Calesa Township."
"This year, we've partnered together," Blaser added, "to create something new for Ocala."
Westgate closed the spot with the line that sums up the whole day: "Run for children." Blaser's reply: "Run for community."
Registering for one race is simple. Registering for both requires a little planning — and a willingness to put 6.2 miles on your legs inside a single Saturday.
- Kimberly's Race Against Child Abuse — 8:00 AM, Ina A. Colen Academy (Calesa Township). Use the SW 38th Street entrance. Registration is $30 early, $35 regular, $40 late, $45 day-of ($10 for kids 10 and under). Register at kimberlys5krace.itsyourrace.com.
- Cogent Bank Ocala Cup 5K — 6:00 PM, Citizens' Circle, 110 SE Watula Ave. Registration is $40. Packet pickup runs Friday, April 24 at Cogent Bank from 11 AM to 3 PM. Register at RunSignUp.
- Sunrise to Sunset Challenge medal — awarded on-site at the Ocala Cup finish line after you complete both races. Bring your Kimberly's bib or finisher confirmation.
Between races, you've got ten hours to recover, refuel, and regret every decision that led you here. Downtown Ocala is a short drive from Calesa Township, and the restaurants within walking distance of Citizens' Circle make a respectable mid-day stop.
The evening course is chip-timed, police-secured at intersections, and routed through rolling hills in the historic neighborhoods surrounding downtown Ocala. A water station sits at Mile 2. Age group awards run from 9-and-under through 75+, with overall and masters (40+) categories for top male and female finishers. Dogs are not permitted.
The morning course at Calesa Township is flatter and more suburban — a friendlier first leg if you're planning to double up.
Ocala has run-of-the-mill spring 5Ks. What it hasn't had is a race event designed around the actual arc of a day — sunrise start, sunset finish, a medal you can only earn by showing up for both. That format is common in trail-running and ultramarathon circles; it's rare on a city's 5K calendar.
It's also the kind of event that turns runners into regulars. Year two is where a race either earns a spot on the local calendar or quietly disappears. The Sunrise to Sunset Challenge is the move that suggests this one is staying.
Both races close registration the day of, but medal guarantees (Tonka truck for Kimberly's, sunset stained-glass for the Cup) are tied to the first-850 and race-week registration windows. If you want the full set — Tonka, sunset, and Sunrise to Sunset — sign up for both now and pick up your Ocala Cup packet Friday afternoon at Cogent Bank.
For the full weekend lineup, see things to do this weekend in Ocala and the Only In Ocala events calendar.
On Saturday, April 25, two standalone 5Ks — one in the morning, one at sunset — are joining forces as a single, day-long test of community and endurance. Anyone who crosses both finish lines walks away with a medal that exists nowhere else: the Sunrise to Sunset Challenge commemorative.
"Two races are merging into one challenge," Cogent Bank's Nick Blaser said in a promo video filmed with Kimberly's Center for Child Protection Executive Director Dawn Westgate. "Ocala hasn't seen anything like this."
How the Day Runs
The morning belongs to Kimberly's Race Against Child Abuse, starting at 8:00 AM at Ina A. Colen Academy inside Calesa Township (5080 SW 66th Ct Rd). The race benefits Kimberly's Center, which serves roughly 1,400 Marion County children a year recovering from abuse, and has helped more than 22,000 kids over the past two decades. Every one of the first 850 registered runners gets a Tonka-inspired toy-truck finisher medal — a nod to the work the center does for children — plus a guaranteed event shirt or tank.
Ten hours later, the course shifts downtown. The second-annual Cogent Bank Ocala Cup 5K launches from Citizens' Circle at 6:00 PM, sending runners through the rolling streets of historic downtown Ocala as the sun drops behind the oaks. Every finisher gets a stained-glass-inspired sunset-themed medal, and the top male and female finishers get their names engraved on the coveted Ocala Cup trophy — plus a $100 gift card from The Running Elements.
Runners who complete both races earn the third medal — the Sunrise to Sunset Challenge — awarded only to those who cross both finish lines on April 25.
The Story Behind the Cup
The Ocala Cup is the brainchild of Nick Blaser, EVP and Market President at Cogent Bank's Ocala Banking Center at 4 SE Broadway Street. Cogent opened its downtown Ocala branch in 2024, and Blaser launched the inaugural Ocala Cup that same year as a signature community event — something that would tie the bank's identity to the streets it sits on.
Year one produced a trophy with "2025 Inaugural Year" engraved on its base and a city full of runners who turned up for a new race on a new course. Year two is where the concept grows up.
Why This Partnership Matters
Partnering with Kimberly's Center turns the Ocala Cup from a feel-good community run into something with stakes. One in four children will be victims of abuse or neglect by age 18, according to statistics cited by Kimberly's Center. The organization's forensic interviewers, child advocates, and trauma-specialized therapists are the reason those kids begin healing instead of being re-traumatized by the system meant to help them.
"I'm Dawn Westgate with Kimberly's Center for Child Protection," Westgate said in the promo. "Join us that same morning for our Race Against Child Abuse at 8:00 AM at Calesa Township."
"This year, we've partnered together," Blaser added, "to create something new for Ocala."
Westgate closed the spot with the line that sums up the whole day: "Run for children." Blaser's reply: "Run for community."
What It Takes to Earn the Medal
Registering for one race is simple. Registering for both requires a little planning — and a willingness to put 6.2 miles on your legs inside a single Saturday.
- Kimberly's Race Against Child Abuse — 8:00 AM, Ina A. Colen Academy (Calesa Township). Use the SW 38th Street entrance. Registration is $30 early, $35 regular, $40 late, $45 day-of ($10 for kids 10 and under). Register at kimberlys5krace.itsyourrace.com.
- Cogent Bank Ocala Cup 5K — 6:00 PM, Citizens' Circle, 110 SE Watula Ave. Registration is $40. Packet pickup runs Friday, April 24 at Cogent Bank from 11 AM to 3 PM. Register at RunSignUp.
- Sunrise to Sunset Challenge medal — awarded on-site at the Ocala Cup finish line after you complete both races. Bring your Kimberly's bib or finisher confirmation.
Between races, you've got ten hours to recover, refuel, and regret every decision that led you here. Downtown Ocala is a short drive from Calesa Township, and the restaurants within walking distance of Citizens' Circle make a respectable mid-day stop.
What the Ocala Cup Course Actually Looks Like
The evening course is chip-timed, police-secured at intersections, and routed through rolling hills in the historic neighborhoods surrounding downtown Ocala. A water station sits at Mile 2. Age group awards run from 9-and-under through 75+, with overall and masters (40+) categories for top male and female finishers. Dogs are not permitted.
The morning course at Calesa Township is flatter and more suburban — a friendlier first leg if you're planning to double up.
Why This Is a Big Deal for Ocala
Ocala has run-of-the-mill spring 5Ks. What it hasn't had is a race event designed around the actual arc of a day — sunrise start, sunset finish, a medal you can only earn by showing up for both. That format is common in trail-running and ultramarathon circles; it's rare on a city's 5K calendar.
It's also the kind of event that turns runners into regulars. Year two is where a race either earns a spot on the local calendar or quietly disappears. The Sunrise to Sunset Challenge is the move that suggests this one is staying.
Register Now
Both races close registration the day of, but medal guarantees (Tonka truck for Kimberly's, sunset stained-glass for the Cup) are tied to the first-850 and race-week registration windows. If you want the full set — Tonka, sunset, and Sunrise to Sunset — sign up for both now and pick up your Ocala Cup packet Friday afternoon at Cogent Bank.
For the full weekend lineup, see things to do this weekend in Ocala and the Only In Ocala events calendar.
Sunrise to Sunset Challenge
Ocala Cup 5K
Kimberly's Race
Cogent Bank
Running
Races
5K
Nick Blaser
Dawn Westgate
Citizens Circle
Calesa Township
Downtown Ocala
Sports
Marion County
Community