December 2025 Featured Races

August 12th, 2025 by Mike Sohaskey

Happy runner participates as a St. Jude Hero at the St. Jude Memphis Marathon — Run to help cure childhood cancer at St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend

Welcome to your RaceRaves guide to December races! Here we spotlight best bets & hidden gems to help you head into the holidays on a high note.

🏆 = Top Rated (Overall rating of at least 4.7 across 10+ reviews)

December Marathons
December Half Marathons
December Ultra Marathons
December Other Distances
December International Races

December Marathons

San Antonio Marathon
Dec 5–7; San Antonio, TX
Marathon, half marathon, 5K
Inaugural local event replaces Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio

Millinocket Marathon
Dec 6; Millinocket, ME
Marathon, half marathon
Free (but frigid) affair supports a struggling mill town

Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon
Dec 6; Rehoboth Beach, DE
Marathon, half marathon
Beachfront, boardwalk, and a bountiful post-race buffet

St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend
Dec 6; Memphis, TN
Marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K
Emotional fundraiser for the courageous kids of St. Jude

Kiawah Island Marathon
Dec 12–13; Kiawah Island, SC
Marathon, half marathon, 5K
Boutique run thru a golf resort & gator habitat

BMW Dallas Marathon
Dec 12–14; Dallas, TX
50K, marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, half marathon relay, 10K, 5K
Three-day city showcase is a Big D-elight

Keesler Federal Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon
Dec 13–14; Biloxi, MS
Marathon, half marathon, 5K, beer mile, beer mile relay
MS’s best marathon boasts miles of white-sand beaches

Palm Beaches Marathon
Dec 13–14; West Palm Beach, FL
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 10K, 5K
Coastal course + Florida sunshine = winter racecation 😎

Rocket City Marathon
Dec 13–14; Huntsville, AL
Marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K, 1 miler
50 States favorite stars the U.S. Space & Rocket Center

Tucson Marathon
Dec 14; Tucson, AZ
50K, marathon, marathon relay, half marathon
Downhill desert point-to-point attracts PR & BQ chasers
(NOTE: Current course incurs +5:00 BQ index)

👉 Or search for more December marathons

December Half Marathons

Wilmington Historic Half
Dec 6; Wilmington, NC
Half marathon, 10K, 5K
Over 3 bridges & ’round the lake, to Riverfront Park we go

OUC Orlando Half Marathon Weekend
Dec 6–7; Orlando, FL
Half marathon, 5K
Speedy downtown loop with a lakefront finish

Santa Hustle Race Series
Dec 6–21; 9 locations (5 with 13.1s)
Half marathon, 10K, 5K
Holly jolly multi-state series spreads holiday cheer

Fredericksburg Blue and Gray Half
Dec 7; Fredericksburg, VA
Half marathon
Historic Fredericksburg tradition marks its 25th anniversary

Huntersville Half Marathon
Dec 12–13; Huntersville, NC
Half marathon, 10K, 5K
Suburban yuletide run features two on-course challenges

NYCRUNS Big Apple Half
Dec 13; New York, NY
Half marathon
Ring in the holidays with two loops of Central Park

Foot Traffic Holiday Half
Dec 14; Portland, OR
Half marathon, 15K, 10K, 5K
‘Tis the season for carolers, cookies & costumes

Santa to the Sea Half
Dec 14; Oxnard, CA
Half marathon, quarter marathon, 5K
Festive seaside nonprofit supports a great “Claus”

Cajun Country Run
Dec 20; Lafayette, LA
Half marathon, 10K, 5K, 1 miler
Cajun culture plus homemade alligator head trophies

Mount Dora Half
Dec 20–21; Mount Dora, FL
Half marathon, 5K
Charming lakeside gem 💎 embraces the Christmas spirit

👉 Or search for more December half marathons

December Ultra Marathons

Freight Train 50K & 100K
Dec 6; Farmville, VA
100K, 50K, half marathon
Rail-trail out and back crosses the historic High Bridge twice

Bigfoot 50K
Dec 6–7; Kimbolton, OH
50K, 20 miler, 10 miler
10-mile loop course explores Ohio’s largest state park

PPTC Endurance Fest
Dec 7; Brooklyn, NY
50 miler, 50K
First timer-friendly urban ultra circles Prospect Park

Paramount Ranch Trail Runs
Dec 20; Agoura Hills, CA
50K, marathon, 30K, half marathon, 10K
Hollywood-inspired run thru a rebuilt Western movie set

Across the Years
Dec 28–Jan 2; Peoria, AZ
Last runner standing, 6 days, 72 hr, 48 hr, 24 hr, 12 hr, 6 hr, 200 miler, 100 miler, 100K, marathon
Social celebration challenges runners to test their limits

👉 Or search for more December ultra marathons

December Other Distances

ColderBOLDER
Dec 6; Boulder, CO
5K
“Polar opposite” sister to the iconic BOLDERBoulder
(Registration opens in Sept)

Electric Cookie Run
Dec 6; Seattle, WA
5.6 miler, 2.8 miler
Lakefront loop finishes with festive cookies 🍪

Las Vegas Great Santa Run
Dec 6; Las Vegas, NV
5K, 1 miler
Celebrate the season with a sea of Santas in Sin City

Savannah Bridge Run
Dec 6; Savannah, GA
Double Pump (10K + 5K) challenge, 10K, 5K
“Strut” your stuff at “The South’s Toughest Bridge Run”

A Charlie Brown Christmas 5K & 10K
Dec 6–20; 5 locations in CA, TN, TX
10K, 5K
Officially licensed holiday fun with the Peanuts gang

👉 Or search for more December other distances

December International Races

Angkor Wat International Half 🇰🇭
Dec 7; Siem Reap, Cambodia
Half marathon, 10K, 5K, 3K
Stunning circuit of Hindu-Buddhist temple ruins

Pyramids Half 🇪🇬
Dec 13; Giza, Egypt
Half marathon, 10K, 5K
Race thru history alongside the Great Pyramids of Giza

Maya Marathon Mexico 🇲🇽
Dec 14; Cozumel, Mexico
Marathon, half marathon, 10K
Tropical island home to mangrove forests & Mayan ruins

Mt. Fuji International Marathon 🇯🇵
Dec 14; Fuji-Kawaguchiko, Japan
Marathon, 17K, 11K
“Spectacular” course boasts “majestic” views of Fujisan
(Sold out, plan ahead for 2026)

Portsmouth Coastal Waterside Marathon 🇬🇧
Dec 21; Portsmouth, United Kingdom
50K, marathon, half marathon
Coastal Christmas run in the birthplace of Charles Dickens

👉 Or search for more December international races

Looking for more great races across the U.S. and around the world? Check out our Featured Races for:

Looking for more running events? Search for races by state/city or month, and try our handy Find a Race tool to search for events by name, date range, distance, location, terrain & more. Then sign up for a free account to build your wish list and start coloring in your 50 States Map!

Author: Mike Sohaskey

Mike Sohaskey is the co-founder of RaceRaves, the premier online reviews community for runners to share their race experiences and find their next challenge. Mike honed his creative and critical thinking skills as a research scientist, earning a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Stanford. He’s completed over 120 races — including marathons on all seven continents plus all six Abbott World Marathon Majors — in locations ranging from Antarctica to Zimbabwe.

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