White Elephant 5K/10K/Half Marathon - Chattanooga
About this race
Get ready for a holiday race with a playful twist! Welcome to the White Elephant 5K/10K/Half Marathon—the event inspired by everyone’s favorite gift-swapping tradition, where surprises, silliness, and a little friendly chaos make the fun. Just like the classic holiday game, this race celebrates the joy of “re-gifting,” transforming leftover treasures into unforgettable memories.
Athletes will select their preferred shirt size at registration, but the actual shirt remains a mystery until after the race. When you cross the finish line, you’ll unwrap your very own surprise bundle—a race shirt and finisher medal from a previous event, packaged White Elephant–style for a fun and festive reveal. We'll be dashing along the Tennessee River Trail starting at 9:00 am.
In addition to the post-race surprises, we’ll honor performance in the traditional way with awards to the top three male and female finishers in five-year age groups, beginning with 10 & under and continuing through our most experienced participants.
With distances for every level—a festive 5K, a spirited 10K, and a challenging Half Marathon—the White Elephant Run is the perfect way to celebrate the season with humor, heart, and holiday cheer.
Welcome to the White Elephant 5K/10K/Half Marathon—unwrap the fun, embrace the unexpected, and enjoy every mile of this joyful holiday tradition!
Pick your distance
Running
5K
Come put your feet on the ground for some Christmas fun! We welcome all runners, walker, strollers, etc!
10K
Up for a little longer distance...here ya go.
Half Marathon
We've got a half marathon for all of you overachievers out there.
Virtual 5K
Can't make it, but want to join in on the fun? No problem! =) Just run when & where you want, submit your time to us and we'll mail you your shirt/card!
Virtual 10K
Can't make it, but want to join in on the fun? No problem! =) Just run when & where you want, submit your time to us and we'll mail you your shirt/card!
Virtual Half Marathon
Typical race-day weather
Based on 1 year of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Chattanooga, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 7:35 AM and sets at 5:29 PM local time (EST) in Chattanooga on December 6, 2026 — 9h 53m 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 — White Elephant 5K/10K/Half Marathon - Chattanooga
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🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Chattanooga
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Chattanooga 5K Races 37 races
- 10K Run Events in Chattanooga 23 races
- Chattanooga Half Marathons 20 races
- Chattanooga Running Calendar 2026 43 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, 47 Chattanooga events
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