Event Name: Squid Game 5K 2026
Location: Deerfield Beach, Florida
There's a special kind of buzz that hangs over Quiet Waters Park before the sun is all the way up. The air is still cool, the lake is glassy, and the palm trees are just starting to catch that first golden light. Then you look around and notice the green tracksuits, the pink guard jumpsuits, and a giant Victory Sports finish arch glowing teal against the trees, and you realize this is no ordinary Sunday morning. This is the Squid Game 5K, and on May 17, 2026, Deerfield Beach turned into the most fun "survival course" in South Florida. We were right there in the middle of it with our cameras, and honestly? It might be one of our favorite races we've shot all year.
Here's the thing about a themed race like this one. People show up ready to play. The event challenges runners to dress as their favorite Squid Game character, whether that's Player 456 in a green tracksuit or a masked pink guard keeping order. Everybody got a personalized bib with a built-in RFID timing chip, an exclusive event shirt, and that collector's finisher medal everyone wants to hold up at the end. The race was chip-timed by Victory Sports, so every single runner got an accurate time down to the second. And the best part? Once the 5K wrapped, all the "survivors" gathered up for a giant game of Red Light, Green Light. One wrong move and you're out. Pretty fun way to end a race, right?
We always tell people that our job isn't just to point a camera and click. We're there to catch the story of the morning, the faces, the costumes, the little moments of joy that happen when a runner spots the lens. So let's walk through the day the way it actually happened, from the first gun to the final smile.
Look at that start line. When the horn went off under the Victory Sports arch, the whole field surged forward all at once, and we were planted right there to catch it. You can spot Michael Hurtado (#23) on the left already finding his gear, Ethan Rodriguez (#38) settling into the middle of the pack, and the rest of the front-runners, including Michael Vargas (#47) and Ivy Holloway (#86), digging in for those first fast strides. That American flag waving over the finish, the palm trees, the cool morning haze, it's the kind of frame that tells you everything about race day in one shot.
The Front of the Pack
When a 5K draws this many runners, a small handful break away almost immediately, and the race up front gets serious fast.
Michael Hurtado (#23) of Hollywood was all business. Blue headband, black tank, arms pumping, eyes locked on the road ahead. He crossed in 20:14 to take first male overall, and you can see in his face exactly what that kind of pace costs you. We love this shot because it captures the loneliness of the front of the race, that green-shirted runner chasing him down in the background just couldn't close the gap.
And then there's this little legend. T. Graf (#94), one of our youngest runners of the morning at just nine years old, came flying down the lane in a light blue singlet, tossing a thumbs up like he'd been doing this his whole life. And here's the part that made us laugh out loud behind the camera, look closely and you'll see he's running with one shoe on and one shoe gone, just powering down the lane in a single sock like it's no big deal. T. Graf still went on to win the boys nine-and-under group in 23:13. Finishing a 5K half-shod and still throwing a thumbs up might be the most committed thing we saw all day. This is the stuff that makes a race photographer smile behind the viewfinder.
Ivy Holloway (#86) of Fort Lauderdale kept his form clean and steady through the parking-lot stretch, navy tee, mirrored shield shades, total focus. He clocked a strong 24:17. We positioned ourselves at this spot on purpose, because the open background lets a runner really pop out of the frame, and Ivy delivered.
And then there's Ethan Rodriguez (#38) of Pompano Beach, who ran the whole 5K in a Yosemite Half Marathon shirt and a pair of rainbow mirrored sunglasses. Talk about doing it with style. Ethan came across in 26:18, and that pop of color against the gray pavement is exactly why we wait for runners like him.
Everybody Plays Their Own Game
Here's the truth about photographing a race like this. The fast finishers blaze through and then they're gone. But the next hour? That's where the real magic lives. That's when the smiles come out, the peace signs go up, and every runner shows you exactly who they are.
Kevin Hill (#72) of Pompano Beach gave us one of the best celebration shots of the day, one arm thrown straight up to the sky mid-stride, finishing in 26:24. You should see the faces when runners realize the camera's on them. Some lock in. Kevin? He turned it into a moment.
Nicole Vera (#48) of Plantation came through with a peace sign and a smile that lit up the whole lane, and she wasn't just having fun, she was winning. Nicole took first place in the women's 30 to 39 age group with a 29:12. Oh, and those cookie-print running shorts? Honestly, that's a championship move all on its own.
Fabiane Ribeiro (#114) of Fort Lauderdale ran with her phone in one hand and a wrapped-up knee, and still found the energy to throw us a peace sign on her way to second place in the women's 40 to 49 group. That's the kind of grit we love to document. Running through a little discomfort and still smiling for the camera? That's a real one.
Fernanda Costa (#87) of Boca Raton brought the brightest shorts on the course, neon lime that you could probably see from space, paired with mirrored shades. She pushed through in 32:38, and we love how that splash of color turns an ordinary stretch of pavement into something that pops off the screen.
Peace Signs, Smiles, and Player 001
If there's one thing this crowd understood, it's that a themed race is meant to be enjoyed. The further back in the pack we looked, the bigger the personalities got.
Jordan Perez (#65) of Fort Lauderdale fully committed to the theme with a Player 001 shirt and a hydration vest, arms out wide like she was soaking up the whole morning. She finished in 32:40, and her energy was contagious. That's exactly the spirit this event is built around.
Joselyn Benitez (#7) of Fort Lauderdale ran in a bright red tank with the biggest, most genuine smile of the morning. Some runners grit their teeth. Joselyn looked like she was having the time of her life, and that joy is what makes a photo worth keeping.
Nicania Cange-Talton (#80) of Coral Springs was a whole vibe, headphones on, double peace signs up, rocking her Squid Game tee like she owned the course. Moments like this are gold for us, because the personality just jumps right out of the frame.
Krissie Del Pezzo (#57) of Pompano Beach came through with an ear-to-ear smile that you couldn't fake if you tried. We've shot tons of finish-line moments over the years, and there's something about a smile this real that reminds us why we love this work. No pose, no performance, just a runner happy to be exactly where she is.
Costumes, Tutus, and Good Vibes
You can't have a Squid Game 5K without a little drama and a lot of fun, and the back half of our gallery brought both.
Here's a frame we really love. A young runner wearing bib #41 charging stride for stride next to Sophia Phanor (#35) of Coconut Creek, with Amy Batchelder (#5) holding strong just behind them. That's what these community races are all about, generations sharing the same pavement, pushing each other forward. The kid never broke stride, and you can see the determination on both their faces.
And we saved a fun one for last. Leima Chisholm (#11) of Lake Worth brought the party in a hot-pink tutu, a blue Squid Game shirt, headphones, and a peace sign in each hand. She was all smiles and pure energy. This is the photo that sums up the whole morning, a runner who decided race day was going to be a celebration, and made sure everyone around her felt it too.
Why Deerfield Beach Runners Trust Us With Race Day
We've photographed races all across South Florida, from Fort Lauderdale to the Treasure Coast to Miami, and Quiet Waters Park has a character all its own. The lake, the open straightaways, the canopy of trees, and that soft early light give us clean, beautiful backgrounds that make every single runner look their best. It's one of the more photogenic 5K courses in Broward County, and when you pair it with a fun theme like this one, the result is a gallery full of color, motion, and genuine emotion.
As the photographers behind the 2026 Squid Game 5K in Deerfield Beach, our whole goal is simple: make sure every runner who crossed that line gets a photo worth framing. That means knowing the course, reading the light, and standing in exactly the right spot to catch the expression before the runner even knows we're there. When people search for a sports photographer in Deerfield Beach, we want to be the name they find, and galleries like this one are exactly why.
Find the complete set of race results at Victory Sports Management.
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