Santa Hustle Chicago

Santa Hustle Chicago takes place in Chicago, Illinois, on December 5, 2026, as one stop of the Santa Hustle Race Series, a holiday-themed series that also visits Detroit, Nashville and other US cities, with a virtual option available. Three formats are on the program: a 10K starting at 8:15 AM, a 5K at 8:30 AM, and a Kids Dash (about 1 mile) at 8:00 AM. The event is open to everyone, whatever your age or ability. Along the course you get Christmas music and treats such as candy canes and cookies, and every runner receives a Santa hat, a beard and an event sweatshirt.

This is a road race built around fun rather than fast times, so it works well as a family outing or as a relaxed group run with friends. That said, the 10K is a legitimate distance: if you plan to run it hard, keep your weekly mileage consistent through the fall and add one longer run each week. For the 5K, a few weeks of regular easy running is enough to enjoy the day in costume.