Blackmon and Joiner win Fifth Season 5k race

CEDAR RAPIDS — Jacob Blackmon waited to sign up, but he is glad he did.

The former Mount Mercy distance runner elected to participate in the five-kilometer portion of the Fifth Season Races (instead of the 8K) as a way to ease back into competition following a June 21 marathon in Duluth, Minn. Despite signing up just days before the race, Blackmon was ready to run in his first time at Cedar Rapids’ 40th-year Fourth of July tradition.

“My legs are still kind of getting back into it,” Blackmon said after winning the 5K in 16:41 Friday in downtown Cedar Rapids. “I didn’t want to hop into too hard of a distance right away. I also knew it would be a hotter day.”

The 27-year-old Bakersfield, Calif. native has found a post-collegiate running career with the help of his employer, Fitness Sports and its running club, Fitness Sports Distance Project. He has already participated in multiple events throughout 2025, including a March runner-up marathon finish in his California hometown.

“They provide gear for me, the running shoes,” Blackmon said. “It’s also just great having the team with them. We have team races in Chicago at Bix every year. It’s got my energy up just having that team environment, so that is what has really kept me going.”

Despite his California roots, Blackmon has found a home in Cedar Rapids. He plans to marry his fiancee, Ruth Cobieya, next year.

“I’m just having fun with running,” Blackmon said. “Doing a ton of racing. It’s been a good time.”

JOINER READY FOR SENIOR YEAR AT DORDT

The women’s 5K winner was another first-time Fifth Season Races participant in Courtney Joiner of Orange City, who will be a senior on the Dordt University cross country team this fall.

“I took the first mile relatively controlled and tried to stick with some of the men,” said Joiner, 21. “It was nice, the downhill finish … I was a fan of that. … Cross country is coming up, so I wanted something similar to the cross country 6K.”

Joiner won the 5K in 19:41, 13 seconds faster than her father, Jeff. The next-fastest female was rising Linn-Mar junior Hailey Kozloski (20:05).

Last season at Dordt, Joiner qualified for the NCAA Division-III cross country national meet as an individual, where her team placed 11th in the women’s standings.

“I think we are bringing everyone back who was on that team,” Joiner said. “I think we will have a pretty good year.”

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STRONG TURNOUT FOR 40TH YEAR

After beginning the week well ahead of last year’s registration pace and adding more than a hundred the day before the event, the Corridor Running ended up with nearly 1,400 participants for the 40th anniversary of the Fifth Season Races.

“This has a been a great day,” Race Director Jim Dwyer said. “Can’t think of a better way to kick off a Fourth of July Holiday. … This couldn’t be done without our volunteers and the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the fire department, the streets department, area ambulance, Corridor Running.”

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