About the Santa Run 8K/5K & Snowman Dash
The course starts outside a baseball park in uptown Charlotte and runs through the surrounding streets. The big draw here is the costume element: runners pick a holiday character when they register and show up dressed accordingly, so the start line looks more like a holiday parade than a typical road race. There are distance options for adults and a shorter dash for kids.
Packet pickup runs the evening before at a running store in midtown, with a race-morning window as well. The finish area has a medical tent and a DJ booth, so there is some noise and activity after you cross.
Free race emails
Get the Weekly RunSesh
In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Charlotte on your radar: a Monday look ahead and a Thursday rundown of the weekend's races.
Two helpful emails per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Distances & Start Times
8K12/19/2026 09:00$40
1 Mile12/19/2026 10:15$20
5K12/19/2026 09:00$35
Virtual 8K or 5K12/19/2026 10:15$35
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.
Where to Stay
Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around Charlotte — 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.
