Baby, its cold outside…but that doesn’t mean you should hang up your running shoes. Signing up for a winter race will help you keep your fitness goals in line even through the snow. With the Thanksgiving feast, Christmas desserts and New Year’s cocktails in the near future, you may feel like the scale is pointing fingers at you. But there are plenty of ways to keep burning calories in the spirit of the holidays.
Someone told me once that the best time to run is the day after a big snowstorm. Here’s to bundling up and believing that!
Try these 6 holiday races (from west to east) to keep you running through the winter:
1. Ugly Sweater Christmas Run in Colorado Springs, CO on December 1, 2012
Dust off that ugly sweater contest winner and join other Christmas duds in a 5K or 1-mile walk in support of the Cerebral Palsy Association of Colorado Springs. You can also put together your very own extremely loud and tacky race wherever you are!
2. Santa Runs in Tacoma, WA on December 15, 2012
Choose between Frosty’s 5K, the Grinch’s 10K or Tiny Tim’s 1K for a spirited exercise with a cause. Participants support the Humane Society of Tacoma and Pierce County
3. Run Like the Dickens in Holly, MI on December 8, 2012
The 10-year standing runathon hosts a 5K, 10K and kids trot. Get the whole family involved for this one.
4. New Year’s Double in Allen, TX on December 31, 2012 and January 1, 2012
End and start your year on a healthy foot with this two day running event. Who says you have to have a cocktail party?
5. Downtown Jingle in Providence, RI on December 2, 2012
Help kids in need with this cause-specific 5K run/walk for all ages.
6. Jingle Bell Run in Wrightsville Beach, NC on December 15, 2012
Participants are encouraged to dress in holiday apparel like snow men or reindeer in the annual 5K run to benefit the Wrightsville Beach Museum of History. Finally a reason to wear your Santa hat in public!
Do you participate in any holiday themed races? What is your favorite part of cold weather running?
They have a Jingle Bell run in St Charles, MO that I am thinking about joining in on! Everyone dresses up like Santa!
It is like Halloween in December! I hope you do it!
what great races! I was going to do a turkey trot and jingle bell run but now I can’t. The ugly sweater run sounds awesome!
Maybe next year?! And yes, I think that is a great one that every city should have…we all have at least one ugly sweater 🙂
[…] with Thanksgiving coming up tomorrow!). If you participate in races, here’s a great list of some holiday-themed runs across the country from Bite Size […]