Hot Chocolate Run

Hot Chocolate Run is held in Bel Air, Maryland, on December 6, 2026. It offers a single format, a 5K of 3.1 miles, with an 8:00 AM start. An early December morning in Maryland usually means cold, still air, which is good racing weather once you are moving but demands a proper warm-up before you line up.

The 5K suits almost everyone, which is why it fills winter calendars. New runners can get ready in six weeks by running or run-walking three times a week and letting one of those sessions get gradually longer. If you already race, use this as a hard end-of-year effort: two quality sessions per week for a month, then three easy days before. Either way, resist the temptation to start too fast in the cold, when the first mile always feels easier than it is.