Orlando Ugly Sweater 5K

Orlando Ugly Sweater 5K is held in Clermont, Florida, on December 6, 2026, with a 10:00 AM start. The race is a 5K (3.1 miles), and the fun twist is that participants pick a side: Team Santa or Team Grinch. Dig out your loudest holiday sweater, choose your team, and line up for a late-morning run in central Florida's December weather, which tends to be far kinder than what most of the country faces at this time of year.

Costume or not, a 5K is a real race distance and a good excuse to keep your fitness ticking over through the holidays. If you are running your first 5K, a simple plan of three runs a week for six to eight weeks, building up to a continuous 30-minute effort, will see you through. Regular runners can treat it as a fast finish to the year: a couple of interval sessions in the preceding weeks, then a quiet week before race day. A 10:00 AM start leaves time for a relaxed breakfast and a thorough warm-up.