TCTC Jingle Bell Run
About this race
Traverse City Track Club’s Jingle Bell Run: 5:30pm - Sunday, December 20, 2026
The Jingle Bell Run is a nighttime holiday run that tours favorite neighborhood streets bordering downtown Traverse City that are adorned in holiday lights and decorations. The event welcomes runners and walkers of all ages and abilities donned in festive holiday costumes. It is a fun and festive, family-friendly event.
The Jingle Bell Run is a non-timed 5k run/walk, followed by complimentary cookies and hot cocoa, holiday cheer, and social time. The event, free to current TCTC members, is a reunion to welcome family and friends over the holiday season and enjoy the downtown Traverse City running scene in the winter season. The Jingle Bell Run typically averages over 600 participants!
Schedule for Sunday, December 21st:
- Packet pickup begins at 4:30 p.m. (Park Place Hotel)
- Run begins at 5:30 p.m. (Park Place Hotel)
Distance: 5K
Course: Neighborhood streets adjacent to downtown Traverse City. Not timed.
Fee: Free to 2026 TCTC members (must become a member or renew your membership by October 31, 2026)
Special Details:
- Wear your favorite holiday attire, including lights! Costume prizes thanks to our friends at Lululemon.
- Complimentary hot chocolate and cookies after the run thanks to the Traverse City Track Club!
- Everyone receives a custom Jingle Bell Run ornament made my our friends at ClaySpaceTC.
- Don't forget to upload your selfies, costumes, and other pictures on our photo page!
- Registrants will have the opportunity to donate during registration to the Traverse City Track Club, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and support programming.
Pick your distance
Running
5k Run/Walk
Run or walk this event with friends and family, dress in holiday attire, eat some cookies and drink hot cocoa, share photos, and and enjoy quality time together.
Typical race-day weather
Based on 12 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Traverse City, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 8:16 AM and sets at 5:04 PM local time (EST) in Traverse City on December 20, 2026 — 8h 47m 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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🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Traverse City
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Traverse City 5K Races 15 races
- 10K Run Events in Traverse City 5 races
- Traverse City Half Marathons 2 races
- Marathons in Traverse City 2 races
- Traverse City Running Calendar 2026 21 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, 29 Traverse City events
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