Donations & Race Proceeds Supporting the Upstate Running Club Youth Team
Event Tiles
A Jolly Jog with Santa
Tacky Sweater 5k
$24
($15:
Ages 1 - 17)
10:00AM EST
- 12:00PM EST
Price increases after November 1, 2025 at 11:59pm EDT
Sponsorship & Vendor Opportunities
$100
10:00AM EST
- 12:00PM EST
Registration ends December 20, 2025 at 11:59pm EST
The Upstate Race Series Presented by Snyder Construction Introduces
The Tacky Sweater 5k
At The Preserve
Son of a Nutcracker!
🎄 So throw on that tacky masterpiece, lace up your elf shoes, and join us for the most fashionably festive 5K of the season!
🎁 What’s Stuffed in Your Stocking 🎁
Every runner on the Tacky Sweater 5K Nice List gets a sleigh full of goodies to keep the holiday cheer going long after the finish line! 🎅🎄✨
🏅 Finisher Medal – Because every festive mile deserves some sparkle!
🎟️ Custom Race Bib – Rock your number in style (and maybe a little glitter).
🌲 FREE Admission to Lakewood Nature Preserve – Run wild where nature meets holiday magic!
🎁 Event-Themed Giveaways – Surprise swag to make your season bright!
🎨 Race Sticker – Perfect for your water bottle, laptop, or sleigh.
📸 Complimentary Race Photos – Strike a pose in your ugly sweater glory!
🎶 Music & Post-Race Hangout – Jingle, mingle, and vibe by the barn!
⏱️ Chip Timing w/ Live Results – Because even Santa checks his list twice!
🌿 Grass Cross Country Course – A wide, rolling trail that’s festive and fun for all ages!
Information
🎄✨ HO HO HO and Welcome to the TACKIEST 5K of the Year! ✨🎄
Straight from the North Pole (okay, maybe more like South Carolina), it’s your jolly friend Christmas here, and I’m inviting YOU to jingle all the way through the woods at the Tacky Sweater 5K! 🎅🧣🎽 This isn’t just any run—it’s a full-blown festive fashion disaster parade on the move! Whether the forecast calls for snowflakes ❄️ or sweat beads 💦, nothing stops a South Carolina runner in a sweater covered in tinsel, blinking lights, and pure holiday joy! 🌟
🦌 Tacky Day Details:
🎄 WHEN: Race kicks off at 10:00am sharp (don’t be late—Santa's watching!)
🎁 WHERE: Lakewood Nature Preserve – 220 Lakewood Dr., Greenville, SC
🎁 PACKET PICKUP: Begins one hour before the run (plenty of time to fluff your sweater pom-poms!)
Get ready for 2 festive loops (1.5 miles each) through the wild & whimsical woods of Lakewood! The trails are wide, grassy, and sprinkled with just enough hills to jingle your bells 🎶. Keep your eyes peeled for curious critters who might just mistake your outfit for a holiday decoration gone rogue! 🐿️🦃🦌
🎉 TACKY SWEATER CONTEST 🎉
This is where the magic ✨ (and the mayhem) happens!
🎅 CASH PRIZES for the most spectacularly ridiculous sweaters:
🥇 1st – $50
🥈 2nd – $25
🥉 3rd – $10
👕 Rules of the Reindeer Runway:
Sweaters MUST be worn the entire race (not tied around your waist like a last-minute elf escape).
🎨 Creativity – The wilder, the better (lights? ornaments? 3D candy canes? YES.)
🎄 Theme – Bonus for holiday or running-inspired looks!
🧶 DIY Vibes – Homemade disasters get extra love.
👨👩👧👦 All ages & styles welcome—kids, grownups, even your festive four-legged friends! 🐶
🧑🎄 Best Group Sweater – Grab your crew, match your holiday chaos, and shine together!
📸 Photo Finish Required – Strike a pose at the "Tacky Sweater Finish Line" (go ahead, throw in some jazz hands!).
🎤 Judging Tent Fun – Head there post-race to show off your style and collect your prizes!
🙌 Spectator Votes Count! Loud cheers, claps, and votes at the post-race party help crown the People’s Choice!
🌲 After the Race:
Kick back by the barn, soak up the holly-jolly vibes, and sip on holiday cheer (BYOB-style! 🧃🎅). Enjoy festive tunes, fun photo ops, and all the cozy feels as we celebrate the season together. So grab your most horrendous holiday sweater (the itchier, the better), lace up those jingle-joggers, and run wild through the woods in full festive fashion. 🎄💨 This is one holiday event you’ll remember fa-la-la-long after the season’s gone!
🏆 Race Awards & Age Group Trail Series
🎖️ Top 3 Overall (Male & Female)
The fastest three finishers will each receive a trophy to honor their achievement at the front of the pack!
🥇 Age Group Awards (Male & Female)
The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers in each age group will earn an Age Group Series Medal 🏅—a custom piece to add to your finisher’s lanyard at the end of the event.
🌲 Upstate Trail Series Recognition
Our Age Group Trail Series highlights consistency and performance across the season!🏆 The Top 3 Male & Female in each age group will be recognized for total points earned throughout the series at our annual awards ceremony.
Age Group Categories:
- 👶 0–9
- 🧒 10–12
- 🧑🎓 13–16
- 🎓 17–19
- 🧑 20–29
- 👱 30–34
- 🧔 35–39
- 🧑🦰 40–44
- 🧓 45–49
- 👴 50–54
- 👵 55–59
- 🦳 60–64
- 🧙 65–69
- 🧝 70–79
- 🦄 80+
Lakewood Nature Preserve
220 Lakewood Drive
Greenville, SC 29607 US
View Location on Map
Any questions? Contact us today!
If you have any questions about this race, click the button below.
