Riverton is bringing back its costumed autumn road race for a second year, with the Monster Dash set to take over Dr. O. Roi Hardy Park on Monday, October 5. The evening lineup pairs a Halloween-themed 5K for grown-ups and older kids with a Mini Monster Triathlon built for toddlers and young children, both staged along the Jordan River Parkway Trail.
According to a Riverton, Utah - City Government post, the Mini Monster Triathlon kicks off at 6 p.m., and the Halloween 5K follows at 7 p.m. The event first launched in October 2025, and Riverton City confirms it is returning for a second run this year at the same Jordan River Parkway Trail course.
The Mini Monster Triathlon is designed for participants ages 2 to 7, according to the city government's Facebook post. Kids complete an age-appropriate run along with a bike, scooter, strider, or tricycle ride, and children may be assisted by a parent or guardian along the course. Every triathlon finisher takes home a small pumpkin roll, while Halloween 5K finishers earn a medal, and costumes are encouraged for the 5K.
Registration Windows and Pricing
General registration for the Halloween 5K runs $20 from July 11 through September 5, then rises to $25 for late sign-ups through race day on October 5, per details from RunnerCard's registration page. Entry into the Mini Monster Triathlon stays fixed at $15 regardless of when families register. Riverton's Facebook announcement directs interested participants to sign up at rivertonutah.gov/monster-dash.
Runners can pick up their race packets ahead of time at Riverton City Hall from September 29 through October 3 during weekday business hours, the city's event page notes. Those who miss the early window can grab packets the day of the race starting at 5 p.m. at Dr. O. Roi Hardy Park, the same site hosting both races.
A Health Push Built Into the Season
Riverton City has folded the race into a broader public health effort by running an eight-week Couch to 5K training course from August 10 through September 28. The $30 program includes coach-led workouts and comes with free entry into the Monster Dash 5K, giving newer runners a structured on-ramp to race day.
The course winds through Dr. O. Roi Hardy Park, a 5.22-acre municipal park established in 2005 along the banks of the Jordan River, according to Recplanet. The park offers covered picnic pavilions with grills and direct trail access via a footbridge, making it a natural gathering point for families before and after the race. It sits along the Jordan River Parkway Trail, a paved multi-use path that stretches more than 45 miles connecting Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake through several Salt Lake County municipalities, per the Jordan River Commission.
Chasing Last Year's Course Record
Riverton City sends live race results to participants by automated text message, and the bar for the fastest finish is already set. Adam Defler posted the course record at the inaugural 2025 Monster Dash 5K with a time of 18:23.1, a mark this year's field will be aiming to beat.
The Monster Dash also functions as the kickoff to Riverton's fall festival calendar. One week later, on Monday, October 12, the city holds its annual Halloween Bash at Riverton City Park, continuing a run of seasonal community events that has also included Riverton's Friday Fun Nights film series and its new youth street hockey league, as per Hoodline.
Part of a Year-Round Racing Calendar
The Monster Dash is just one entry in a fuller slate of municipal footraces organized by the Riverton Recreation & Events Department, which also puts on the Riverton Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K each spring, plus the Town Days Country Races in July. The city has leaned into recreational programming as it has grown; Riverton's population expanded from 38,753 residents in the 2010 census to 45,285 in the 2020 U.S. Census, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, making community races like the Monster Dash one way the suburban city keeps pace with its expanding base of families.
