Jingle Bell 5K Montrose: Race History, Results and the Runners Behind the Numbers
Montrose's Jingle Bell 5K is both a competitive road race and a holiday tradition. Every December, runners and walkers head through downtown Montrose while Christmas in Montrose brings music, lights and family activities to the borough. The 2026 edition is scheduled for Saturday, December 5, at 9:00 a.m., starting from the United Way of Susquehanna County area at 67 Public Avenue.
We went back through the race's published timing records to connect its history, participation growth and some of the runners who keep showing up—not just in Montrose, but at races across northeastern Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier.
How old is the Jingle Bell 5K?
The earliest years we can currently document are 2018, 2019 and 2021. MWS Race Team identifies those three editions among events it timed for Interfaith and Christmas in Montrose. Falcon Race Timing's complete published overall lists provide a continuous results trail from 2022 through 2025. We have not yet verified the inaugural year, a 2020 edition or complete individual results from the earlier years. That is why we describe the race as documented since at least 2018, rather than assigning an unverified anniversary number.
The jump in participation: 325 to 511 in one year
| Year | Timed finishers | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 325 | Baseline |
| 2023 | 511 | +186 (+57.2%) |
| 2024 | 528 | +17 (+3.3%) |
| 2025 | 563 | +35 (+6.6%) |
Across those four editions, the results list 1,927 timed finishes (not necessarily 1,927 different people). The 2022–2023 increase is particularly striking. We cannot attribute it to a single cause: publicity, registration, the holiday festival, weather and course arrangements may all affect turnout. These figures count timed finishers, not all registrants or festival visitors.
Overall winners, 2022–2025
| Year | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Ryan Flaim · 17:36.44 | Samantha Snead · 20:10.97 |
| 2023 | David Haines · 16:41.56 | Mirabella Sanford · 20:49.97 |
| 2024 | Cody Adams · 17:36.38 | Samantha Snead · 20:27.59 |
| 2025 | Cody Adams · 17:38.68 | Marina Martino · 18:42.67 |
Among these four published editions, Haines's 16:41.56 (2023) and Martino's 18:42.67 (2025) are the fastest verified male and female winning performances, respectively. These are not confirmed all-time course records: older results remain incomplete and the course has changed.
The people behind the results
Cody Adams: four years, two runner-up finishes, then two victories
Montrose's Cody Adams is one of the clearest recurring stories in the race. He placed second overall in 2022 (18:08.82) and 2023 (17:31.90), then won in 2024 (17:36.38) and 2025 (17:38.68). His name also appears in the 2026 Montrose Fourth of July 10K results. The continuity is more interesting than any single finish time: this is a local runner whose racing history can be followed from one community event to another.
Samantha Snead: a bridge between Montrose and Binghamton
Samantha Snead, listed in the timing results as being from Blakely, Pennsylvania, won the Jingle Bell 5K women's race in 2022 (20:10.97) and again in 2024 (20:27.59). Her other documented performances connect Montrose to the Binghamton racing calendar: she ran 20:09 for second woman at the 2024 Kelly LaBare 5K, and won the women's race at Confluence Running's 2024 Sunset Runway 5K in 19:44. This is why historical results become more valuable when connected across events: the same athlete's season becomes visible rather than isolated in one December results table.
Marina Martino: speed from the 5K to the marathon
Marina Martino of Dallas, Pennsylvania, won the women's Jingle Bell 5K in 2025 (18:42.67), finishing fourth overall. She also won the women's division at the 2023 Kelly LaBare 5K in 18:00, and recorded 3:06:25 at the 2024 Steamtown Marathon. Her performances are another link between northeastern Pennsylvania and Southern Tier race histories.
Other names to remember
Ryan Flaim won the 2022 men's race; David Haines led the 2023 field in 16:41.56; and Mirabella Sanford won the 2023 women's race. The official results also repeatedly include runners from Montrose, Brackney, Binghamton, Johnson City, Endicott and Vestal. We have kept these notes to publicly recorded performances, rather than creating biographical profiles or merging athletes solely because names match.
The course has its own history
Montrose Borough Council's September 2024 minutes document approval of a new Jingle Bell Run route following discussion with the fire chief. That matters when comparing finishing times across years: a course change can affect how directly performances can be compared. We will keep any future all-time records qualified until course histories and older results can be verified.
Explore the official results
The race's Confluence Running history section now connects the four year-by-year archives. For every year below, the original overall and age-group results remain available from Falcon Race Timing.
- 2022: Overall finishers · Age groups
- 2023: Overall finishers · Age groups
- 2024: Overall finishers · Age groups
- 2025: Overall finishers · Age groups
Running the 2026 Jingle Bell 5K
The next edition is scheduled for December 5, 2026 at 9 a.m., at 67 Public Avenue, Montrose, PA. The official RunSignup page lists $45 advance registration, $50 cash-only race-day registration from 7:30–8:30 a.m., an 11 a.m. awards ceremony, and an event shirt for registrations completed by November 1. Strollers and leashed dogs are welcome, and the race goes ahead snow or shine. Verify final instructions with the organizer before traveling.
Research note: Historical finish counts and winner times come from Falcon Race Timing. Earlier-year evidence comes from MWS Race Team; cross-race athlete references are linked to their original published results. We will continue adding verified older records as they become available.
