TCTC Jingle Bell Run

About the Event

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.

Races Offered

5k Run/Walk

Dec 20, 2026

straighten

Distance — 5K

terrain

Type — Running

timer

17:30

sell

$20.00

Weather History

These values represent the 3-year monthly averages for December in Traverse City.

thermostat Temperature

-3.2° / 1.4°

wb_sunny Feels like

-9.3° / -3.5°

light_mode Avg sunshine hours

2h 29m

water_drop Avg rainfall

2.4 mm

ac_unit Avg snowfall

1.0 cm

air Avg wind speed

16.3 km/h (Gentle breeze)

opacity Sweat loss rate

Low

terrain Course conditions

Firm and slightly soft

sunny Max UV Index

Low (2.0)

humidity_mid Humidity

81.5%

wb_twilight Sunrise

09:11

nightlight Sunset

18:03

About Traverse City

Learn more about the host city, Traverse City.

Traverse City is a scenic city on the Grand Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan. Directly north of Traverse City, the Old Mission Peninsula splits the Grand Traverse Bay in two, with a beautiful windswept landscape and great views of the bay on either side. Slightly to the west, the Leelanau Peninsula, with its charming small towns, forms the "pinkie finger" of the Michigan peninsula, jutting into Lake Michigan. Both peninsulas are prime winemaking regions within the state, and as such are one of the main tourist attractions in the region. Over a million visitors come each year to tour the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a scenic lakeside park with impressively large sand dunes. It's also a very popular destination for outdoor activities, owing to the proximity of Lake Michigan in summer, the impressive autumn colors, and the high snowfalls in winter.