Houston's 12k of Christmas

Houston's 12k of Christmas is put on by Houston Running Co. in Houston, Texas, on December 19, 2026. Three distances are on the schedule: a 12K, a 6K and a Kids & Family 1K, which spreads the event across a wide range of abilities. The holiday theme runs through the morning with Christmas music on course, hot chocolate, and Santa and his elves on hand. Every finisher gets a chip-timed bib, a commemorative shirt and a distinctive medal, with snacks and drinks waiting afterward.

The 12K is the interesting one here: at roughly 7.5 miles it sits between a 10K and a 10-miler, so pacing it well means starting closer to half-marathon effort than to 5K effort. If you have been running four days a week through the fall, you are already fit enough; add one weekly long run of 60 to 75 minutes for a month and the distance takes care of itself.