By: Moses Greenspan
1. A Fun Family Christmas Activity
Whether you have family in town or you are just visiting the Pittsburgh area, The Christmas Eve 5k is the perfect event to kick off the holiday festivities. The Christmas Eve 5k has a lot to offer: Hot Holiday Drinks, Free Pictures with Santa, a scenic course, and awesome swag. The race starts at 10:00 at the North Park Boathouse in Allison Park, PA. You can pick up your packet the day before the race at Up-N-Running (1177 Pittsburgh Road (Rt. 8) Valencia, PA 16059) from 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM. On race day, you can get your packet at the North Park Boathouse from 8:30 AM until 9:50 AM.
2. Earn that Christmas Dinner
No need to feel guilty eating all that Christmas ham after running a 5k. The 5k features an out and back course along the scenic North Park Lake. The course is all paved and relatively flat with a net uphill on the way out and a net downhill on the way back. The turnaround will be staffed with enthusiastic volunteers from the North Allegheny Cross Country team handing out water and gatorade. Upon finishing, there will be light refreshments like cookies, bananas, etc…just enough to tide you over before the big meal!
3. Santa Claus at North Park
Traveling over 3,000 miles from the North Pole, Santa Claus is taking time out of his busy holiday schedule to cheer you on as you finish the Christmas Eve 5k. He will be at the race from 9:00 until noon to encourage you during the race and take photos. If you finish top 3 in your age group, Santa will be the one to hand you your Christmas Eve 5k campfire mug!
4. Hot Holiday Drinks
Whether you want a stiff black coffee to wake you up before the race or a decadent Snickerdoodle Latte to indulge yourself after the race, the Christmas Eve 5k has you covered. Included in your registration is a token for a free drink at the Knock About Coffee Truck which has a fun collection of festive beverages from which to choose. You can check out their menu here!
5. Awards, Swag, & Christmas Bling!
Not only does your registration include a drink from Knock About Coffee Truck, you also get a long sleeve performance shirt, a custom crafted finisher medal, and a custom bib with your name printed on it! Make sure to register by Sunday Dec. 11th to be guaranteed a shirt in your size. The top 3 overall men and women as well as the top 3 finishers in each of the following age groups will also receive a custom Christmas Eve 5k coffee mug (10 & Under, 12-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60 & Over). The awards ceremony will begin at 11:15 AM by the start/finish area. Make sure to stick around for the raffle drawing which will begin directly after the awards ceremony. All participants are eligible to enter the raffle by putting the raffle ticket attached to their bib into the raffle basket at packet pickup.
Other Wolf Creek Events at North Park
Interested in more racing opportunities? Check out the Resolution Run 5k, an opportunity to end the year on the right foot. You can also start off the year strong with the North Park Half Marathon – Western PA’s largest Half Marathon – which features two loops around the lake plus an out and back on the Christmas Eve 5k course. Get 10% off either of these two races using the code CHRISTMAS10 during registration. To learn more about other Wolf Creek events, visit wolfcreektrackclub.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.