Back Where It Started
On May 9, 2026, the third annual 2 Bears 5K went back to where it all began: the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, as part of Netflix Is a Joke Fest. Bert, Tom, and a noticeably slimmer Jelly Roll led the pack out of the gate at 7:30 in the morning, and the finish line sent everyone straight into the stadium for the after-party.
Comics on the Course
The hang was casual enough that runners were rubbing elbows with a whole festival’s worth of comedians. H. Foley, Kevin Ryan, Steph Tolev, Jefferson McDonald, Joe DeRosa, Jessimae Peluso, Greg Fitzsimmons, Daphnique Springs, Brittany Ross, Ian Fidance, Kim Congdon, and Dave Williamson were all out there sweating alongside everybody else.
2 Bears, 1 Cave, Live From the Rose Bowl
The finish line led straight onto the field at the Rose Bowl, where Bert and Tom taped a live episode of 2 Bears 1 Cave with celebrity participants fresh off the course. Still sore. Still funny.
Not Your Mama’s 5K
No official timing, no stress, no expectations. Everyone who crossed the line picked up a finisher medal, a race shirt and a headband, then walked into a stadium stocked with Por Osos, snacks, interactive games and recovery stations, including a SWTHZ recovery rig with six cold plunge tubs. The LA Times put it this way: “Can’t. Type. Too. Sore. And that’s not even from the run-walking, it’s from the afterparty inside Rose Bowl Stadium.”
The Bears Trained for This One
Bert came into race week down 50 pounds and did the pre-race media rounds the hard way. He put NBC’s California Live through a workout in his home gym (his philosophy: work out so you can party), then went for a run on camera with Kate Mackz for The Running Interview Show the day before the race. Jelly Roll, two years into the challenge Bert and Tom threw at him on 2 Bears 1 Cave, showed up looking, in the LA Times’ words, “svelte.”
Partners Who Made It Happen
2 Bears 5K 2026 was presented by Por Osos Vodka and produced with Spartan, as an official part of Netflix Is a Joke Fest. SWTHZ ran the recovery zone and Lock N Roll handled the lockers. Thank you to every partner who helped turn a stadium into a party at 9 a.m.
In the Press
- LA Times, Ali Lerman: We watched everything we could at Netflix is a Joke. This is what stood out
- Muscle & Fitness: Bert Kreischer Reveals His 50-Pound Weight Loss and Sober Training for the 2 Bears 5K
- NBC California Live: Bert Kreischer Says He Works Out So He Can Party
- The Running Interview Show with Kate Mackz
- Jimmy Kimmel Live: Bert and guest host Jelly Roll on the 5K that started it all
Join Us Next Year
Want in for 2027? The 2 Bears 5K is headed to Nashville on April 10, 2027. Get on the list and don’t miss the next round of shenanigans.