Jingle Bell Beach Run - Kailua Kona, HI

Jingle Bell Beach Run - Kailua Kona, HI is held in Kailua, Hawaii, on December 20, 2026, with the 5K run (3.1 miles) starting at 7:30 a.m. One distance, one start, one clock: the early gun puts you across the finish line well before the middle of the morning, and the format works equally for runners chasing a time and for walkers covering the 3.1 miles at their own pace.

Plenty of people will travel for this one, and travel is worth planning around. Land at least a day early, and shake the journey off with an easy 20-minute jog the afternoon before rather than sitting still. On race morning, drink early, warm up for a quarter of an hour, and start the first mile a little under the pace you think you can hold. Four to six weeks of regular running, with one weekly session of faster repetitions, is enough of a build.