Polar Bear 5K: East Cobb’s Coldest (and Warmest) Tradition

Some races earn their reputation with big hills or big crowds. The Polar Bear 5K earned its reputation by being iconically cold, then politely solving that problem for you. On Saturday, January 24, 2026, East Cobb runners and walkers will line up at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church for a race that has become a winter rite of passage. And if you have ever finished a January 5K with frozen fingers and a full heart, you already get why people keep coming back.

How a “dying” campus race turned into an East Cobb classic

Here’s the part most people do not know. Polar Bear did not start at Johnson Ferry. The earliest version dates back to 1989 at Mercer University’s Atlanta campus, and it was later relocated to Johnson Ferry in 1992. The move happened because of a perfect alignment of people and purpose.

• Mark Cottingham (then the worship pastor at Johnson Ferry) loved running and poured his energy into the student choir.
• As mission opportunities grew, he wanted a fundraiser that students could rally around.
• Enter longtime race director Gary Jenkins, who was managing the Mercer race as it struggled. The solution was simple: move it, rebuild it, and let it benefit students instead.

One idea became a tradition, and the tradition stuck.

What the race supports, and why it matters

Polar Bear is not just a winter workout. It is a fundraiser that typically sends about 100 to 150 students on a mission trip each year. Those trips have included both stateside and international destinations, and in recent years the program has rotated between New York City and Poland.

The race funding model is refreshingly practical: students and parents volunteer, and each hour worked reduces the cost of their trip. Over the years, some students have even covered the full cost through Polar Bear volunteering and fundraising. One of the most “small world” moments came when the choir team met a church planter in New York. He recognized Johnson Ferry as “the church in East Cobb with the 5K,” then realized that the same race he used to run was now helping fund students coming to serve alongside him. That’s Polar Bear in a sentence: a local 5K that quietly creates ripple effects.

The secret sauce: logistics that make winter feel… manageable

Yes, the cold is part of the brand. But what makes Polar Bear special is how well it handles the cold. Runners can stay inside and warm right up until start time, and the venue offers the holy trinity of race-day comfort: clean bathrooms, water fountains, indoor space, and parking.

And then there’s the volunteer machine.

Race day involves around 200 volunteers when you add up students and families, with the same crew also supporting packet pickup and setup. That many helpful people in one place tends to create a very specific vibe: efficient, upbeat, and slightly over-prepared (the best kind of prepared).

The course: familiar, fast, and now more runner-friendly

If you have run it before, you know the feel. It is essentially a lap-and-a-half style route around the campus. Over time, the start shifted from Johnson Ferry Road to the parking lot, which made life easier for police and improved timing accuracy with chip start and finish. There were also earlier course versions that created some… driveway drama on Lower Roswell, which led to tweaks to keep things smoother for neighbors. And the finish now has a little extra theater. The finish under the awning feels more “big race” than “random 5K,” especially with kids lining the chute.

Polar Bear is also a Peachtree Road Race qualifier, and the course is described as relatively flat with the current start and finish setup.

Polar Bear Lore: snow cancellations, tiny runners, and the year of 700 forms

Every iconic race has stories. Polar Bear has a catalog.

The 2004 cancellation: Race directors held out until the morning of, then snow started falling and they cancelled around 5 or 6 a.m. It was rescheduled for the following weekend and, because Georgia has a sense of humor, it was about 70 degrees.

Age range flex: The oldest runner on record was 90 years old. The youngest? A 5-year-old ran the 5K, and the Cub Dash has had participants as young as two.

The race-day registration trauma (aka the reason “the old guard” flinches): One year in the 1990s, they had about 1,300 pre-registered, then got hit with 700 race-day registrations. On paper. With manual forms. And then they had to mail shirts afterward for months. After that, they stopped race-day registration for years, and only recently brought it back with guardrails.

The shirt, the mascot, and the new polar bear costume

Ask a longtime participant what they love, and you will hear about the shirt. Some folks even make t-shirt quilts out of old Polar Bear tops. This year’s version returns to a more technical vibe: a hooded top designed to be something you actually want to wear beyond race day. And a few years ago, the logo was refreshed, drawing from older Polar Bear history.

Then there is the mascot, which is getting an upgrade too. A new polar bear costume is debuting this year. The role is usually claimed (not assigned) by a couple of upperclassmen guys, who treat it like an honor… and bring some of the magic that makes the event unique to many of its younger participants.

Want in?

If you are looking for a East Cobb 5K that feels like a community reunion, this is it. You can chase a time, jog it with friends, walk it with family, or show up just to cheer and enjoy the energy. Register in store at Big Peach East Cobb or online here. And if you need help figuring out shoes, layers, or “how cold is cold,” Big Peach Running Co. East Cobb is always happy to help.

FAQs: Polar Bear 5K (East Cobb)