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ELITE INVITATIONAL

Check out the action from the 2024 Elite Invitational!



Welcome to the 2025 Carlsbad 5000 Elite Invitational! Elite races are invite-only and interested runners must complete an Elite Athlete application to be considered. Full details and athlete eligibility requirements below.

Elite Invitational Prize Purse: 

Guaranteed Payout – Equal for Men & Women

1st – $ TBD

2nd – $ TBD

3rd – $ TBD

4th – $ TBD

5th – $ TBD

American Record Bonuses

$5,000 – Men must beat 13:20*

$5,000 – Women must beat 14:50*

*Current records as of 10/6/2020

All amounts are in USD ($). Athletes receiving more than $600 must furnish a W9 for tax purposes.

Eligibility Requirements

  • 5K time of sub-14:00 for men and sub-17:00 for women
  • Comparable times for races farther than 5K are also accepted
  • Submit an Elite Invitational Athlete Application or receive an invitation from race officials
  • Adhere to anti-doping regulations

Results and Awards

  • Prize money awards are equal for both men and women
  • Prize money distribution is based on gun time results
  • All athletes are subject to USADA drug testing
  • A review of the results will occur prior to the awards ceremony and prize money disbursements
  • Decisions of the race referee and jury of appeal are final and cannot be contested

Accepted athletes may be asked to:

  • Share acceptance to the Elite Invitational on social media
  • Share training experiences leading up to the race on social media
  • Take part in pre/post-race interviews over Carlsbad 5000 weekend
  • Participate in the Elite Q&A with Meb on Saturday of race weekend

Getting to Carlsbad

For best arrangements and ease of travel, flights should be booked so you will arrive in San Diego (SAN) on Friday of race weekend. Please note that Carlsbad Village is located 36 miles north of downtown San Diego and traffic increases significantly from 3 pm to 7 pm. Both Uber and Lyft are available onsite and will be the easiest option for most athletes. All major car rental services and bus/train options are also available. Transportation expenses are eligible for those athletes qualifying for travel reimbursement. John Wayne Airport (JWA) in Orange County and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) are also options but will require significantly more travel time upon arrival.

Contact Our Team

We’d love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact us via email at elites@carlsbad5000.com

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