Runners who want to race indoors without ever stepping outside will have two chances to do it in early 2027, as organizers of the Skyway 5K have announced plans to hold races in both Minneapolis and St. Paul. The Minneapolis race is set for Jan. 23, with the St. Paul event following on Feb. 27, 2027.
The announcement, first reported by the Star Tribune, marks the first time the race will run through downtown Minneapolis. Per the organizer website, the Minneapolis course is set to begin at Target Field, though a full route map remained unavailable as of Nov. 3. Minneapolis has plenty of skyway to work with — its downtown network spans 80 blocks and 9.5 miles, making it, as the Star Tribune notes, widely considered the longest continuously connected system of its kind in the country.
The Race Roster listing for the 2027 event promises a brand new course, an updated bag drop and extra sponsor swag, and bills the race as Year Two of the Skyway 5K. The same listing warns that registration is limited and the race is expected to sell out. Runners can choose to have their packets mailed two weeks ahead of race day, or pick them up during race week or on race day itself, according to the Race Roster page.
An Indoor Race Born in St. Paul
The concept started in St. Paul earlier in 2026, when the Skyway 5K debuted as an indoor run through the city's climate-controlled skyway walkways, a system Union Depot describes as a climate-controlled maze. The race brands itself as a chance to run where no one has run before, and organizers believe it was the first time a bibs-and-timers race had taken place in any city's skyway system, according to the Star Tribune.
Reports differ on exactly how many runners showed up for that first race. The Star Tribune reported more than 800 people signed up for the Feb. 28, 2026 event, which began at Union Depot, stretched to Treasure Island Center, and circled back. A separate account from twincities.com put the field at more than 700 runners lining up inside Union Depot, while another twincities.com report described upwards of 800 racing through the skyway system in a timed loop. The dossier does not settle on a single attendance figure.
St. Paul's Skyway Gaps Still Unresolved
St. Paul's skyway system hasn't been fully open to runners. Several routes remain closed around three condemned buildings, and the 2026 race was forced to avoid the Alliance Bank Center entirely, per twincities.com. Pedestrian access through that building closed in April 2025, leaving what the outlet called a sizable hole in downtown St. Paul's skyway network.
St. Paul City Council President Rebecca Noecker announced that the city has made an official commitment toward reopening three long-shuttered sections of the downtown skyway system, tied to the Alliance Bank Center, Central Station and the St. Paul Athletic Club. No firm reopening date has been announced, the outlet reported. The Downtown Development Corporation said separately that it was working toward reopening the Alliance Bank Center connection before the race, possibly around Dec. 1, though that timeline has not been confirmed as complete.
Both St. Paul's and Minneapolis's skyway systems have also dealt with retail tenant vacancies since the pandemic, a backdrop that adds a bit of irony to runners now logging miles through halls once lined with shops. Organizers aren't the first to use the skyways for something athletic — Star Tribune reporting notes that a Red Bull “Ride the Sky” event sent cyclists across St. Paul's skyways roughly two decades ago — but race organizers said they knew of no comparable footrace before their own.
What's Next for Registration
Registration for the 2027 races is open now through the event website, with organizers cautioning that spots are limited. For runners eager to try the newly added Minneapolis leg or return to St. Paul's skyway maze, the Jan. 23 and Feb. 27 dates give them two separate chances to lace up indoors this winter.
