South Berkeley Christmas 5K

South Berkeley Christmas 5K is run in Inwood, West Virginia, on December 6, 2026. Now in its 16th edition, it offers a single format, a 5K of 3.1 miles, with a 2:00 PM start. That afternoon start time is unusual for a road 5K and welcome in December: you get the warmest part of a winter day rather than a frozen morning warm-up.

Fifteen minutes of hard running is what a 5K asks of most runners, and you can prepare for it in about six weeks. Build to three or four runs a week, keep most of them easy and conversational, and add one faster session such as a set of 400-meter repeats. Then race it honestly: go out at a pace you could hold for the full distance rather than sprinting the first quarter mile. Layer up for the start, and plan for a warm-up you can do close to the line.