Auburn Santa Run/Walk 5k
Auburn Santa Run/Walk 5k logo

Auburn Santa Run/Walk 5k

Auburn, California, United States View on map
Dec 20, 2026 – Dec 19, 2027 (America/Los_Angeles local time)
Running

About this race

December 21, 2025

Get ready for a festive showdown in the heart of Auburn as the annual Auburn Santa Run 5k takes over the town! This spirited event offers a unique twist as participants have the option to join either Team Santa or Team Grinch, injecting a playful rivalry into the traditional 5k experience.

As the sun begins to rise, the streets of Auburn come alive with the cheerful sounds of jingling bells, festive music, and the laughter of eager participants dressed in their Santa or Grinch-themed running gear. The Auburn Santa Run 5k has become a beloved community tradition, bringing together runners of all ages and fitness levels to celebrate the holiday season in a healthy and joyful way.

The friendly rivalry between Team Santa and Team Grinch adds an extra layer of excitement to the run. Runners on each team encourage and cheer for their teammates, creating a lively atmosphere throughout the course.

VIRTUAL OPTION ADDED:

Our 2025 race is in person, we do have a virtual option. Keep reading to learn how virtual races work.

Virtual races do not have an actual race location, runners sign up and complete a run on their own. The day of the race, DEC 21, runners will receive an email or text message with directions on how and where to send in their results. We need these results to confirm that runners actually completed a run.  You can run any distance you want in any pace. There is no real 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. This is a great way for runners to stay active an still collect the medal. Race windown is from December 21 to December 25. Your tshirt and finisher medal will be shipped to you. 

Do I have to actually run to get the medal?
Short answer is YES, but walking is also acceptable.
Runners must actually submit results or mark on the results link as to have completed their run to actually receive the medal.

Pick your distance

Running

5K GRINCH TEAM

Dec 20, 2026 5K 9:30 AM
$30.00
Open

VIRTUAL SANTA TEAM

Dec 20, 2026 VIRTUAL SANTA TEAM 9:00 AM
$25.00
Open

VIRTUAL GRINCH TEAM

Dec 20, 2026 VIRTUAL GRINCH TEAM 9:00 AM
$25.00
Open

5k SANTA TEAM

Dec 20, 2026 5K 9:30 AM
$30.00
Open

Typical race-day weather

Based on 9 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Auburn, plus the 3 days either side.

Temp (°C)
Minimum temperature (race-week average) 12.6° / Maximum temperature (race-week average) 27.8°
Feels Like (°C)
Minimum feels like — heat index / wind chill (race-week average) 11.9° / Maximum feels like — heat index / wind chill (race-week average) 28.1°
Peak wind (km/h)
Strongest wind of the day (race-week average)
13.0
Precip (mm)
Precipitation over the day (race-week average)
0.5mm
Humidity
Mean relative humidity (race-week average)
49.5%
Sunrise
Sunrise at the start line on December 20, 2026 (PST)
Sunset
Sunset at the start line on December 20, 2026 (PST)
Daylight
Hours between sunrise and sunset on race day
9h 26m

The sun rises at 7:18 AM and sets at 4:45 PM local time (PST) in Auburn on December 20, 2026 — 9h 26m of daylight.

Course

No course map published yet.

The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.

Reviews

Done this event?

If you've participated in this event, share your experience with other runners

Other races near Auburn

Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months

Find upcoming events by distance:

Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.

  • Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
  • Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
  • Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
  • Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 12 Auburn events

Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.