We made a “family” New Year’s Resolution for 2017, and agreed to do a 5K each month. My kids already loved races, so it wasn’t a hard thing to dedicate one weekend a month to getting out and participating. It did required doing a fair bit of research on finding fun races, that were kid-friendly! Imagine my disappointment when I had to scratch the Wicked Wine Run off the list, but in the end we had a fun list of races that got us dirty, sometimes wet, colorful and laughing all the way to the finish line! It did help to curb our eating habits for a few days, reminding us to stay hydrated, and we each got a little exercise, too, which is what New Year’s Resolutions are suppose to do! Of course, it also brought us a little closer as a family, and gave us plenty of memories to talk and laugh about, as well as a wardrobe of matching race shirts!
Here are the 12 races we did, along with a few others for honorable mention that we’ve either done in the past, or are looking forward to this year!
January
The Jiggle Butt Run, a women’s only run in Arlington is January 25, 2020 supporting Safehaven Freedom from Domestic Violence.
February
The Hot Chocolate Run is one of the most fun runs, if for no other reason than the chocolate! The have chocolate fondue stations at the run! It will be held in 2020 in Houston on February 1st and Dallas on February 8th. The shirts for 2020 are awesome, and your kids will also love the FREE 2-day Expo before each race, with bounce houses and activities for the entire family! Click HERE for more information.
The Galveston Jolly Jester Jaunt is a terrific way to celebrate the start of Mardi Gras! This year’s race takes place on February 15th, and is followed by some of our favorite Family-friendly Mardi-Gras parades on the island, including the Zaniest Golf Cart parade! Don’t miss the fun parades on Friday either, including the Umbrella Brigade! Click HERE for more information!
Grab your Neon for the Blacklight Run in Fort Worth on February 22nd! We love these fun races, which move locations each year! Click HERE for more information!
I love Bridge Runs, and the Jail Break Run in Baytown is terrific as it takes you to the TOP of the Fred Hartman Bridge over the Houston Ship Channel! 2020 marks the 10th year for this fun race, which takes place on February 29th! Proceeds go to benefit local police who face non-service related injuries and illness. Click HERE for more information.
March
The Heroes vs Villains 5K in Houston is March 1st!
My highlighted race for March, 2020 is the 32nd Annual Whooping Crane Strut in Rockport, the town which was devastated by Hurricane Harvey! Click HERE for more information on this race!
Ready for a fun obstacle race? Check out Tough Mudder Race this month in College Station on March 21 and 22nd! Do the 10 mile with 20 obstacles or 5 miles with 13 obstacles! Participants must be 14 years or older on race day! Click HERE for more information.
April
The annual Fort Worth Zoo Run is a BLAST for kids and adults! Click HERE for more information!
The Dallas Foam Glow is only open to kids 8 and older, the fun Kid Pit for younger kids makes it a family fun event! Click HERE to read more!
The South Padre Island Sand Crab 5K, 10K and 1-mile Night Time Beach Run is April 18th.
May
The South Padre Island Jailbreak is May 2nd!
June
Conquer the Gauntlet is another obstacle race that travels around, with different dates and locations. My son did the Kids Race in October at the Y O Ranch outside of Kerrville. It will be in DFW on June 1st. Click HERE for more information.
The X-terra Jurassic Trail Run in Glen Rose on June 22nd is a night run on the trail along the river. Bring your sense of adventure and plan to spend a weekend searching for dinosaur tracks at Dinosaur Valley State Park! Click HERE for more information.
July
One to watch for is the Inaugural Howl at the Moon 5K in Waco on July 20th! Proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Central Texas, and you’ll see lots of fun pups as you run along the Brazos Riverwalk to McLane Stadium from Indian Springs Park! Click HERE to read more!
On July 27th is the Annual Port Aransas Sand Crab 5K, 10K and 1-Mile Nighttime Beach Run!
August
August in Texas isn’t really a time for running, but there are some really neat night runs, especially trail runs like the Cap’n Karl 10Ks at Colorado Bend State Park and Reveille Ranch in Austin. Click HERE for more information.
On August 17th is the Galveston Sand Crab 5K and 10K and 1-mile Nighttime Beach Run!
September
In El Paso, one of the best runs is the McKelligon Canyon Challenge 5K! Click HERE for more information!
The Foam Glow is one of our favorites, and they benefit childhood cancer! Again, these races change locations each year, but in 2019 there will be a race in San Antonio. Houston and Fort Worth! Register for these races for about $11 until July 24th! Click HERE for more information.
The Austin Zombie Charge is on September 29th! Click HERE for more information!
Again, I love Zoo Runs, and the 34th Annual San Antonio Zoo Run Relay is on September 14th! It’s a 4-person relay race, with each runner completing 2 miles! Click HERE for more information.
October
We love a fun zombie run, and there are plenty in October!
Oct. 26th The Zombie Run in Canton
Oct. 26th Zombie 5K in Belton
Oct. 26th Gathering of the Zombies 5k, Rosenberg
Oct. 26th The Zombie 5K and Monster Mile, Brownsville
October is one of the most fun months for runs, where you can run in costume or just enjoy the cooler weather (it does happen).
Because we do races for fun, I also love the Bubble Runs! This races changes destinations each year, but it’s always fun! Click HERE for more information!
November
Another Zombie Obstacle Course, the Zombie Charge in Houston is November 2nd.
The Zoo Stampede at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco is on November 9th!
The Fort Worth Foam Glow on November 16th is sure to be a fun event for the whole family!
The Prairie Lights Sneak A Peek 5K was a 2-night event in 2018. Kids and adults love running or walking among the thousands of Christmas lights!
December
A favorite with my teens was the Rock N Roll Marathon 5K. Again, these races change dates and locations each year, but in 2019 you can run in San Antonio in December!
New for us in 2019 will be the Fort Worth Jingle Bell Run on December 7th at the Shops at Clearfork!
We love the Dallas Jingle Bell Run, where everyone dresses up in their favorite Christmas wear and enjoys the lights and sights of the run!
Know Before You Go
One of the most important tips is to purchase early, when fees are less expensive. If you can save money on a group, then join one or enlist friends to go with you!
Check Groupon! I found a few terrific deals on races. Check the prices before you purchase, and make sure you really are getting a great deal!
Check ages on races. Like the Wicked Wine Run, there seems to be more and more races that offer alcohol and are 21 and over. The Santo de Mayo 5K, organized by Saint Arnold Brewery in Houston, is another. Obstacle races usually have a minimum age as well.
Take your phone, and ask someone to take a picture of all of you! I’m always the photographer, and even rounding up pictures for this post, I had a hard time finding any of me!
