Friday Night Lights 5K & Festive Fun Run
About this race
Friday Night Lights: Run Through the Winter West Magic
Step out of the ordinary and into a dazzling holiday wonderland! PLUS - an all-new route with even MORE lights!
Prepare to illuminate your holiday season as SoleRoots Running partners with the University of West Georgia, inviting you to experience the inaugural Friday Night Lights 5K | Fun Run. This event is honored to continue the holiday spirit started by the annual Jingle Bell Jog for the past 15 years. This isn't just a race; it's a breathtaking, glittering path woven directly into the spectacular Winter West programing, transforming the UWG campus into a runner's paradise of festive light.
On Friday, December 4, 2026, the air will be crisp and the spirit bright. Join us as the sun sets and thousands of twinkling lights rise to guide your way. Whether you're chasing a personal record in the challenging 5K or enjoying a shorter, family-friendly Fun Run—our sparkling Festive Fun Run—every stride will be set to the backdrop of radiant holiday magic.
Lace up your shoes, feel the energy of the night, and run into a brand-new holiday tradition under the Friday Night Lights!
Schedule:
Friday, December 4 Winter West on University of West Georgia campus in Love Valley begins at 4 pm
- Learn more about Winter West HERE
- Parking is available at UWG Campus Center or Bookstore lots on West Georgia Drive, Carrollton.
- Race check-in opens from 4:45 to 6 pm in the Campus Center lower level room 121.
- Festive Fun Run around Love Valley starts at 6 pm (meet at the Campus Center Patio)
- Best outfit awards announced at 6:15 pm with prizes
- Friday Night Lights 5K starts at 6:17 pm (start line noted on map)
- Awards following 5K with pick-up at awards table, no ceremony
- Pizza dinner provided after each race in UWG Campus Center Lower Level Room 121
Dress warm and turn on your all-new, festive, LED light up beanie while exploring the lights on course. Then finish with friends and family. Registered participants will get pizza for dinner with options of cheese, pepperoni, or veggie and water.
Awards will go to:
Best Holiday Outfit Adult
Best Holiday Outfit Youth (17 and under)
Best Light up Outfit Adult
Best Light up Outfit Youth (17 and under)
5k Awards:
Top 3 overall male and female finishers
Top 5 male and female finishers in 14 and under
Top 5 male and female finishers in 15 to 39
Top 5 male and female finishers in 40 and up
Pick your distance
Running
Friday Night Lights 5K
Turn on your new festive, LED light-up beanie for the race, jingle your jingle bells along the course, enjoy pizza after the run - ALL provided in registration!
Festive Fun Run
** Please note anyone can do the Festive Fun Run Turn on your new festive, LED light-up beanie for the race, jingle your jingle bells along the course, enjoy pizza after the run - ALL provided in registration!
Typical race-day weather
Based on 9 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Carrollton, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 7:29 AM and sets at 5:31 PM local time (EST) in Carrollton on December 4, 2026 — 10h 02m 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 — Friday Night Lights 5K & Festive Fun Run
Other races near Carrollton
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
West Georgia Track Club Trail Race 7.5K & 15K
West Georgia Turkey Trot
The Ugly Sweater 5K
Apex- Halloween Hustle 5k
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Carrollton
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Carrollton 5K Races 14 races
- 10K Run Events in Carrollton 2 races
- Carrollton Running Calendar 2026 22 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, 25 Carrollton events
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