The Elf Dash - Venice, FL

The Elf Dash - Venice, FL is held in Venice, Florida, on Saturday, November 28, 2026, with a single 1-mile run starting at 5:45 p.m. An evening start and a one-mile distance make this the shortest kind of race there is, run in the dark or at dusk on a Gulf coast winter evening rather than at the usual dawn hour.

A mile on the road is a different exercise from a 5K: there is no settling in, and the whole thing is decided in the first quarter. For kids and families it is the easiest possible way to take part in a real race, and for experienced runners it is a chance to find out what your top-end speed looks like without needing a training block. If you want to run it fast, warm up for at least fifteen minutes with a few short strides beforehand, then go out just under the pace you think you can hold.