Dashing Thru The Glow
About this race
WHAT:
"AvanceCare" Dashing Thru The Glow
Downtown Wilmington and It's Go Time welcome you to the AvanceCare Dashing Thru The Glow 5K. Join us as we bring together the Christmas spirit, family fun, and entertainment along the beautiful Cape Fear River.
Run or walk through the holiday lights in downtown Wilmington, take pictures next to the Christmas Tree, meet Santa himself, and stay for the Downtown Wilmington Holidays on the Water Drone Show.
The elves will be at the finish line passing out Finisher Medals to all the good little boys and girls who finish the 5K and 1 Mile. To make this event even better, everyone receives a light up holiday beanie.
*Parts of the course are a little dark, we encourage you to bring a headlamp.
BEST DRESSED COSTUME CONTEST!
Deck your halls to the max and enter the Best Dressed Runner Costume Contest!
Pull out your most festive tinsel, garland, twinkle lights and beyond to show us what it means to Holiday-Slay All Day! Don't be a Grinch, come on out and show us all what you've got (hope it's not coal!)
DOWNTOWN WILMINGTON HOLIDAYS ON THE WATER DRONE SHOW
This year's show will start at 7:30 PM, giving you enough time to finish your race, grab some cookies and meet Santa. The best viewing areas for the Drone Show are along Water Street from Grace Street to Dock Street.
DATE:
Saturday, December 12, 2026
START/FINISH LINE LOCATION:
Live Oak Bank Pavilion
10 Cowan Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
DISTANCES OFFERED:
5K - this event is timed
1 Mile - this event is NOT timed
*You can walk or run either race.
*Parts of the course are a little dark, we encourage you to bring a headlamp.
CHECK OUT THE SWAG
- Race Shirt (while supplies last)
- Finisher Medal
- Holiday Hat
- Cookies
- Glow Necklace
- Free Pictures with Santa
- Experience downtown Wilmington's holiday light displays
HOW TO REGISTER:
Register Before the Race: Click on the SIGN UP button in the upper right corner
Register At Pre-Race Packet Pickup or On Race Day: To register at packet pickup or at the race, we will provide a QR code for you to register on your phone. You can also register online from your phone or device up until the race starts.
PARKING:
Any legal available parking spot in downtown Wilmington.
PACKET PICKUP & RACE SCHEDULE:
Click HERE for the full schedule of events
HOW YOUR REGISTRATION MAKES A DIFFERENCE:
AvanceCare Dashing Thru The Glow is raising funds for the Coastal Horizons Open House Youth Shelter and Toys for Tots.
The Open House Youth Shelter is committed to improving the safety and well-being of displaced abused, neglected and vulnerable youth. Children and adolescents ages 6-18 who are in need of a safe place to stay can receive shelter in the 24-hour, 9-bed facility. Open House does more than just meet youths' basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. Personal growth is encouraged through counseling services, vocational/educational opportunities, life skill building, and recreational activities. All confidential services are provided at no cost to youth and their families, and continue for a period of three months after discharge, to maximize the success of the family reunification plan.
Pick your distance
Running
5K
You can run or walk this event. The 5K is timed.
1 Mile
You can run or walk this event. The 1 Mile is untimed.
Typical race-day weather
Based on 11 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Wilmington, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 7:08 AM and sets at 5:02 PM local time (EST) in Wilmington on December 12, 2026 — 9h 54m 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.
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Results — Dashing Thru The Glow
Other races near Wilmington
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
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Medal Madness 5K & 13.1M at Wilmington, NC (44)
Gobbler 5K, 10K & 13.1M at Wilmington, NC (47)
Holiday 5K, 10K & 13.1M at Wilmington, NC (51)
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Wilmington
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Wilmington 5K Races 45 races
- 10K Run Events in Wilmington 22 races
- Wilmington Half Marathons 22 races
- Wilmington Running Calendar 2026 54 races
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, 58 Wilmington events
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