Indiana fun runs
41 seasonal, themed and one-of-a-kind fun runs in Indiana.
Holiday and seasonal: 16 · Food and drink: 9 · Color, glow and night: 6 · Mud and obstacle: 4 · Quirky format: 2 · Novelty course: 2 · Costume and theme: 1 · Iconic tradition: 1
- Food and drink Indiana Brewery Running Series Indianapolis brewery 5Ks that end with a craft beer, plus a fall Brunch & Bubbles edition.
- Food and drink Satek Winery Run & Wine (Hallowine 5K) A costumed "Hallowine" 5K from northeast Indiana's oldest winery through decorated countryside.
- Holiday and seasonal Hot Cider Hustle – Fort Wayne Fort Wayne’s stop on a Midwest fall race series built around hot apple cider at the finish and cold-weather fleece swag.
- Quirky format Werewolf Chase Free Fun Run A free 3-mile chase where runners wear flag belts and "werewolves" are released five minutes later to grab them.
- Quirky format Evansville Zombie 5K Survival Run A zombie-infested 5K "mission" where runners must reach a Red Cross outpost, get a code from a survivor, and return.
- Color, glow and night Boo Brew Glow Run 4 Mile A costumed 4-mile glow run at dusk in Kreager Park, followed by a party at Kekionga Craft Company.
- Food and drink Cedar Creek Haunted Wine Run 5K A Halloween-themed wine run at what bills itself as Indiana's only combined winery, brewery and distillery.
- Holiday and seasonal Cops & Monsters 5K A Halloween costume 5K where local first responders run spray "splash zones" along the course.
- Food and drink Spencer Farm Haunted Wine Run 5K A Halloween wine run at a berry-farm winery north of Indianapolis, with two start waves.
- Holiday and seasonal Fort Branch Sinister Cellar Zombie 5K A Halloween-morning 5K where you can opt to be chased by zombies, with a pass to the Sinister Cellar haunted house.
- Costume and theme Grinch Fun Run A Grinch-themed 5K on the Ohio Riverfront where the town Grinch causes mischief along the course.
- Holiday and seasonal Wheeler Mission Drumstick Dash A Thanksgiving-morning walk/run in Broad Ripple with "Full Gobbler" and "Mini Gobbler" distances, drawing more than 15,000 registrants.
- Holiday and seasonal Krazy Krampus 5K A sunset cross-country 5K where runners try to beat both the dark and Krampus to the finish.
- Holiday and seasonal Brew Ho Ho Ho 5K A Christmas-costume 5K on the Monon Trail with a surprise funny holiday name on every bib and BBQ and beer at the finish.
- Holiday and seasonal Evansville Rotary Santa Run A cannon-start 5K where registrants run in Santa suits through Evansville's east-side neighborhoods.
- Holiday and seasonal Jingle Bell Run – Indiana Fishers’s stop on the Arthritis Foundation’s national holiday run, where teams turn out in festive costumes and jingle bells to raise money for arthritis research.
- Holiday and seasonal Santa Hustle Indianapolis A downtown Indianapolis holiday half marathon, 10K and 5K run in Santa costumes.
- Holiday and seasonal Fort Wayne Great Santa Run Hundreds of runners in full Santa suits (hat, beard, coat, belt) fill downtown Fort Wayne for a 5K from Promenade Park.
- Holiday and seasonal Glühwein Gallop 5K A costumed 5K named for German mulled wine that starts and finishes at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt.
- Holiday and seasonal Festivus 5K A "Festivus for the rest of us" 5K from a Chesterton winery, with Santa hats for every kids' dash finisher.
- Color, glow and night Holiday Lights @ the Rails 5K & Kids Dash An evening holiday-lights 5K from Depot Street Park in Greenfield, with an 80-yard kids' dash.
- Color, glow and night Monroe County Holiday Lights 5K An evening 5K that loops the Monroe County Fairgrounds holiday lights route two and a half times.
- Holiday and seasonal Rudolph Run 5K A Christmas Eve morning 5K where the top finishers take home reindeer trophies.
- Holiday and seasonal Cheers to New Years 5K A New Year's Day 5K on the Monon Trail starting from Big Lug Canteen.
- Food and drink Circle City Donut Dash Donut Challenge runners must eat a dozen donut holes at the halfway turnaround before racing back.
- Novelty course IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon A half marathon with a full 2.5-mile lap of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where runners stop to kiss the Yard of Bricks.
- Color, glow and night Bubble Run – Indianapolis A non-competitive 5K through stations of colored bubble foam at Indiana State Fairgrounds, ending in a bubble dance party.
- Mud and obstacle Cincinnati Spartan Trifecta Weekend Cincinnati’s Spartan Trifecta is held on the ski runs of Perfect North Slopes in southeast Indiana, with repeated climbs and descents of the slopes.
- Mud and obstacle Tough Mudder Indiana A new Tough Mudder stop for 2027 at CERAland Park, a large recreation park in Columbus, Indiana.
- Mud and obstacle Midwest Spartan Trifecta Weekend at Badlands The Midwest Trifecta crosses sand dunes, rocky climbs and creek beds at an off-road vehicle park in western Indiana.
- Food and drink Bacon Around the Bend 5K An untimed downtown 5K with a bacon station at the halfway point and Bacon Bloody Marys at the Irish pub finish.
- Color, glow and night Blacklight Run – Indianapolis A nighttime 5K through blacklight zones and glow powder at Indiana State Fairgrounds, ending in a glow party.
- Novelty course Dunes Dash 5K A sandy, stair-climbing trail 5K over the dunes at West Beach in Indiana Dunes National Park.
- Iconic tradition Indianapolis Colts 5K Run/Walk A downtown 5K that runs through the tunnel to finish on the 50-yard line inside Lucas Oil Stadium the day before the Colts' home opener.
- Holiday and seasonal Irvington Vampire Run A Halloween 5K through historic Irvington, the neighborhood named for "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" author Washington Irving, at its 80th Halloween Festival.
- Mud and obstacle Leon's Heroes Obstacle Course Race – Indiana Dunes A military-themed obstacle race in Indiana Dunes National Park with its own K9 division for running with your dog.
- Food and drink Nappanee Apple Festival Donut Dash A donut-themed 5K and mile that opens the Nappanee Apple Festival in northern Indiana's Amish country.
- Color, glow and night Night Raid 5K & Fun Run A 9 p.m. summer 5K that finishes on the track under the stadium lights at Floyd Central High School.
- Food and drink Popcorn Panic 5-Mile & 5K The Valparaiso Popcorn Festival race, where the 5-mile winners are crowned champions and ride in the Popcorn Parade.
- Food and drink Shamrock Beer Run 5K & BrewFest Indy A 21-and-over St. Patrick's 5K with a craft beer sample at the start, at every kilometer, and a pint at the finish.
- Holiday and seasonal Shamrock Run & Walk (Indianapolis St. Pat's) A firefighter-hosted St. Patrick's 5K from the IFD Union Hall on Mass Ave, with a drawing for two tickets to Ireland.