About the Jingle Bell Run Powered by Gazelle Sports and Brooks
This free run is woven into the city's holiday tree lighting ceremony downtown, so the streets are already full of people and lights when the race starts. There is no timing, no pressure, just a loop through downtown Grand Rapids after the tree goes up. Festive, warm clothing is very much the point.
The start and finish are in a parking lot across the street from the Grand Rapids Art Museum, which puts you right in the middle of the evening's festivities. The parade and tree lighting happen first, so budget extra time to get there and find your spot before the run begins.
Free race emails
Get the Weekly RunSesh
Get races near Grand Rapids in your inbox. Every Monday we send the races coming up, and every Thursday we send the ones happening that weekend.
Two helpful emails per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Distances & Start Times
3 Miles11/21/2026 19:00Free
Going for a Time?
Set a goal and get a pace band: every mile split on a card sized for your phone lock screen, so race morning needs no math.
Plan Your TripWhere to Stay
Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around Grand Rapids — pan or zoom to compare what's nearby.
The map is provided by Stay22. If you book through it, RunSesh may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — it never affects the races we list.