Over the next few weeks, we’ll be publishing a variety of health and fitness-related posts meant to guide, inspire, and motivate you on your journey. We hope these will be a valuable resource for a moms; whether you’re still going strong since January 1st OR possibly need to be re-motivated.
Last year I wrote a post around the New Year about how to train for your first 5K. This year, I’m assuming you ALL read it and followed ALL of my directions and have spent ALL of 2018 getting ready for your numerous 5Ks in 2019! No? That didn’t happen?!
It’s okay, I forgive you. But, in the spirit of kicking off 2019 the same way we kicked off 2018, I wanted to take a minute to highlight some of my favorite races in the DFW area, races for you to add to your schedule to kick off the new year!
February 9th – Hot Chocolate 5K
This race will always hold a special place in my heart, as it was one of the first races I ran when I became a runner. This is a HUGE race, with a killer chocolate treat at the finish line. The medal is adorable, and the jacket you get with registration is amazing. Super high quality, and super adorable. We all know that the races are all about the stuff, amiright?!
Going back to the finish line though…not only are there “sweet stations” along the course, but when you finish, you get a gigantic plastic hot chocolate mug filled with chocolate, marshmallows, chocolate chips, M&Ms, a banana, pretzels…and a cup of hot chocolate right in the middle. I mean, come on! How can you pass this one up!? And again, for you runners looking for more of a challenge, they have a 15K option as well!
March 23rd – Firefly Run
I LOVE THIS ONE. This 5K takes place at night, and the goal is to decorate yourself as much as possible to light up the night! They have a lively post-race celebration with entertainment, refreshments, and awesome visual effects. Plus, you get a LED lanyard to wear while you run, an awesome shirt, and a finisher’s medal that spins.
Lasers, lighted trees, arches that glow, and all sorts of other light surprises line the entire course, and this one does NOT disappoint!
April 13th – Texas Big Star 5K
You have to put this one on your list. Some of my favorite 5Ks are tied into longer distance weekends, and the Texas Big Star Half Marathon is a great one! You can run the 5K, and then sit back and cheer on those half-marathoners! This is the first and only endurance race in Frisco, starting and finishing at the Collin College Preston Ridge Campus. All funds go to benefit non-profit 501c3 charitable organizations within the North Texas community.
They are expecting 2019 to be the biggest race yet, so you definitely don’t want to wait on signing up!
May 11th – Red Balloon Run & Ride
This race has a special place in my heart, and I love that this event benefits Children’s Medical Center! You can even specify which area of Children’s that you want to raise money for, like the cardiac center, oncology unit, and more.
The run is a 5K course in and around Children’s Medical Center in Plano, and the ride is a lovely tour throughout Collin County with a finish back on the Children’s Medical Center Plano campus.
Bonus points: If you do both the run and the ride, I think you can call yourself a duathlete. Totally.
So, there you have it. Four 5Ks in Collin County and DFW that you should NOT miss. Hopefully, I will be at most of these races this year, so if you see me, please say hello! I have had so much fun meeting readers at various events the past year, and I hope to keep it up in 2019.
If you have any other favorite local 5Ks, drop some recommendations in the comments. I can’t wait to see you guys out there this year.
