5 5K Series: Reindeer Run

5 5K Series: Reindeer Run is held in Baltimore, Maryland, on Saturday, December 5, 2026, with a single 5K (3.1 miles) starting at 9:00 a.m. As the name indicates, it is one leg of a five-race 5K series, and this December edition carries the Reindeer Run theme. It is listed as a road race, so expect times comparable to any other city 5K on pavement.

Series races reward consistency more than a single peak, and that is what makes them useful: you get several chances to test the same distance across the year and watch your times move. Run this one as a hard 5K effort, or use it as a paced workout if a longer goal race sits later in your calendar. Four to six weeks with one interval session a week, something like 6 x 800 meters at 5K pace, plus easy running the rest of the time, will have you ready. Warm up with 10 to 15 minutes of jogging and a few strides.