Running of the Lights
About this race
Start your New Year with a healthy tradition at Running of the Lights! This unique January race begins at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Day and takes participants on a magical run or walk through the dazzling Tanglewood Festival of Lights in Clemmons, North Carolina. Choose between the 5K(ish) Run/Walk or the 1.75 Mile Fun Run/Walk and experience a one-of-a-kind course that transforms the park’s Christmas wonderland into your personal race route.
Before the race, you’ll join hundreds of fellow participants for a celebratory toast and a live stream of the New York City Times Square Ball Drop right at the start line. At the finish, warm up with hot chocolate, snacks, and post-race cheer—a perfect way to celebrate the arrival of 2026.
Why People Run the Running of the Lights
- Kick off the New Year in a fun, healthy way with friends and family
- Run or walk through the lights at Tanglewood Park, normally only open to cars
- Experience a Christmas wonderland of glowing displays on foot
- Earn a custom finisher medal
- Receive a high-quality long-sleeve race shirt
- Enjoy a festive New Year’s party atmosphere at the start and finish
- Watch the Times Square Ball Drop live feed before you run
- Celebrate after with hot chocolate, snacks, and post-race camaraderie
- Access free race photos and live results
- Compete for unique awards in the 5K
Event Details
- Date: Midnight, January 1, 2027 (race begins at the stroke of midnight)
- Location: Tanglewood Park, Clemmons, NC
- Distances: 5K Run/Walk or 1.75 Mile Fun Run/Walk
- Registration Options: Regular Registration (shirt + medal + full perks), Economy Registration, and Virtual Registration
Start Your Year Bright
If you’re looking for more than just a race, Running of the Lights is an experience. Families, friends, and runners of all levels gather to close out the old year and welcome the new with fitness, fun, and light-filled memories. Whether you’re chasing a PR or enjoying a casual stroll, this event is the perfect way to say goodbye to 2026 and hello to 2027.
Pick your distance
Running
5K Run/Walk
Enjoy your New Year's run through 3.1ish miles of beautiful Christmas lights! This route sees the most light displays.
Economy 5K Run/Walk
Have enough race shirts and medals? Enjoy the same great race and atmosphere, minus the medal and shirt! *Economy means you will NOT receive a shirt or medal*
1.75 Mile Fun Run/Walk
This event is an easy going run or walk and still allows participants to see some fun light displays.
Economy 1.75 Mile Fun Run/Walk
This event is an easy going run or walk and still allows participants to see some fun light displays. *Economy means you will NOT receive a shirt or medal*
Virtual Fun Run or 5K
Can't join us in person but still want to enjoy the fun of running on New Years? Join us virtually!
Typical race-day weather
Based on 11 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Clemmons, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 7:32 AM and sets at 5:18 PM local time (EST) in Clemmons on January 1, 2027 — 9h 45m 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
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Results — Running of the Lights
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Running Scared 5K/13K - Winston Salem
Haunted 5K, 10K, 13.1M & 26.2M at Winston-Salem, NC (41)
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Clemmons
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Clemmons 5K Races 8 races
- Clemmons Running Calendar 2026 8 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, 11 Clemmons events
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