The 5k & 12k are both USATF certified. Details can be found on their respective pages. The Egg Nog Jog was certified by Santa as 800 meters (1/2 mile).

Yup! Both the 5k & 12k are bib-timed (Egg Nog Jog is not). There is a small strip on your bib that starts your time when you cross the start line and stops when you cross the finish line. Remember, if you are competing for a top spot, that official times are gun start to crossing the finish line. If you’re curious, here’s why…

The USATF (United States of America Track & Field) stipulates that a “race” is against other competitors, race traffic, and changing road conditions–it takes speed and strategy to win. If you have to weave through others, that is part of the race. Only the gun time puts runners head-to-head. The “bib-time” (measured from when you cross the starting line) is really a personal measurment, or time-trial. A sneaky runner could decide to let everyone get out of the way, then run all alone at the end for a fast bib-time to an unfair advantage (who would do that right?). So bib-time is what most of us go by, but not the “official race time.” So, hope that helps. Here is a link to the USATF rule book if you are super curious.

You bet. 12k will have four and 5k will have two.

5k @ mile 1 & 2

12k @ mile 1, 2, 3.5 & 6.25

Yep, as long as you register/pay for them (even if you have a dog named bandit). Each will receive a cool race bandana. Also, you can only take pets on 5k and 12k, not in the Kids Egg Nog Jog.

Yes, we have lots of walkers! But if you plan on walking the entire course, we ask that you sign up for the 5k please. The awesome Aberdeen Police and Fire Department can only keep the roads closed for a certain period, so 12k walkers may find the trail vehicles passing you to keep road re-opening on schedule.

Oh, one more thing, please stay to the right, there is a fast runner coming up behind you!

Yes, absolutely! It is so much fun running with your kids, so we let parents run along side for free. But be careful, those kids are fast!

Nope, as long as they are in a stroller, there is no charge for having them along for the ride. 

We ask that you do. We understand that there are some super fast runners out there with strollers and pets, but we want those without to be able to get off without weaving through. Essentially, we just ask that if you run with a stroller or pet that you are courteous to other runners. 3:o)

Yes! Fully closed courses are rare, and we want to give a big thank you to the Town of Aberdeen for taking such good care of the Reindeer Fun Run participants!

5k, 12k, Egg Nog Jog?

Yes! Yes! & Yes!

Good call out. Yes, it is, but we like the way it looks as Egg Nog Jog :-)

It all depends on your pace (minutes per mile). But, here are some rough calculations you can share with those who have come out to watch and cheer you on:

Well, until 2014 the answer was no. Then we dress our reindeer like a conductor and a train shows up! Serves us right. Every year we put a stop order in with the railroads, but we’ve learned that isn’t 100%. IF a train happens to come, Aberdeen Police are at every crossing to make sure everyone is safe.

No, but Santa is watching, so… your call.

You don’t have to, but those that do sure look like they’re having fun… and we do give awards!

We’re glad you asked! Here are our totals each year. This counts all paid participates (including no-shows). This does not include non-race activities such as the Blitzen Bash or those who come to the Kid Zone or to cheer on runners, volunteers, etc. We estimate that may be up to 1,000 more.

There are a couple factors that impact registrations. The weather of course, but also the date of the race. The later it is, the more time there are for folks to register. Since it is always the first Saturday of December, this can vary.

There is a bag drop. Every year another Sandhills Race Series event that hosts our bag drop (usually Mardi Gras Miles). So look for that SRS tent at the starting line to store gear while your on the course.

Indeed. If you’ve lost a shoe, wallet, dog or kid, go to the Children’s Building (to the left of Fellowship Hall). That’s where we will bring anything and everything we find.

Indeed there is. Rugg Rats will be on-site so the whole family gets a chance to run. Drop the kids off while you’re on the 5k or 12k, then race alongside your kids on the Egg Nog Jog. Please make reservations by calling (910) 695-0014.

Please take a look at race day information for the latest start times.

Great question. First off, we subscribe to the same weather cancellation policy as Santa. Luckily (knock on wood) it has never been close. It did snow one year (2010)–it was AWESOME. For the data nerds out there, here is what the weather has been each year, the first Saturday of December, in Aberdeen/Pinehurst/Southern Pines.

Check out our Accommodations page.

There is tons of parking in downtown Aberdeen, but please visit race day information for the latest. We encourage you to leave plenty of time in case you have to park across Hwy 15/501. There is a tunnel at Aberdeen Elementary to get across it safely.

You can, and please, please, please, please do that if you want to give your slot to someone else. Otherwise, it is a mess for us to figure out final results. NEVER give your bib to someone without oficially transferring first.

Here are directions from RunSignUp.

It is easy (thank goodness). 

• Sign In to RunSignUp
• Go to your Profile
• Click My Registered Races
• Click Manage next to the registration that you are editing
• Click Add-On menu item
• Edit the quantity of the Add-On that you would like
• Click Continue

Easy! Well, kinda easy. Here are the directions from RunSignUp–you can also switch at packet-pickup, but it is faster to do before-hand.

1. Sign In to RunSignUp
2. Go to your Profile
3. Click My Registered Races
4. Click Manage Registration next to the registration that you would like to transfer to another race
5. Click the Transfer To Another Race menu item
6. Find the race that you would like to transfer into and click the Start Transfer button
7. Register for the new race, and your Race Transfer Credit will be applied at the checkout

It is REALLY important that you don’t just run the other race on race day. A couple years ago we had someone decide to run the 5k instead of the 12k, without letting us know. Guess what? Our results showed he won the 12k in record time and it delayed our awards ceremony by 15 minutes to unwind it all. Just one example, but it really messes things up. Thanks!

You can get race pricing on our registration page. Sign up early though, because prices increase the closer we get to the event! But, even if you sign up late, it all goes to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sandhills.

Of course the answer is no! Someone who runs a race without paying is called a Bandit. Here is an article in Runners World about Bandits. 100% of proceeds go to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sandhills–do you really want to take money away from these great kids?. And, the gear is awesome.

We can. If you are having issues registering, please visit https://runsignup.com/Contact-Us tech support. What we have learned is that 99% of registration issues can be alleviated with a newer web browser (some old browsers are just not very forgiving).

In a pinch, you can register on site at packet pickup.

For the Egg Nog Jog, yes. For the 5k & 12k, they are a-la-carte and can be purchased when you register. We changed this a few year ago because, although we love our shirt, we know some runners have drawers full and would prefer to get something else. This change allowed us to lower the price of the race, and only charge for people who want shirts. Except for the Egg Nog Jog where we loose money, because ,”every kids need a cool shirt!”

If you forgot, there is a link on your registration email to order gear too.

If you are having issues registering, please visit RunSignUp at https://runsignup.com/Contact-Us. They have great information there and a way to contact them if you can’t find answers to technical issues. We have learned that 99% of registration issues can be alleviated with a newer web browser (some old browsers are just not very forgiving).

Absolutely. We have direct evidence that participating in the Reindeer Fun Run will increase your likelihood of being on Santa’s Nice List by up to 250%. Wearing antlers during your run almost assures you a spot on the coveted list.

Yep. But if you’re picking up for a bunch of people, you might want to pick your time selectively. So Friday afternoon is the bast bet there.

Yes, we have some pretty cool gear for sale each year. If you didn’t order a shirt, we do sell them (until we sell out) at Packet pick-up, along with blankets, kids stuff, and commemorative gear.

We have packet pick-up on the Friday before the race (way better to come on Friday) and race morning. You can find details on our race day information page.

You can also register at packet pickup if you haven’t already.

On race-day, we will have sponsor tents at the finish line and in the Kids Zone. If you would like to become a sponsor of the Reindeer Fun Run, please take a look at our sponsorship page. We’d love to have you join in the fun and promote your business as a sponsor! If you have other services that you think would benefit the Reindeer Fun Run, please reach out to us on our contact us page. Thanks for your interest!

You should totally become a sponsor!

Visit our sponsor page here to learn more about sponsorship, and complete the form or call us at 910-693-3045. We have so many great sponsors that help us raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sandhills, and gain exposure for their business. We’d love to add your business to our wonderful sponsors.

Our Training Partner FirstHealth Fitness has created a special training program just for you. It’s called Earn Your Antlers. You can learn more about it on our training page.

Also, you should totally join FirstHealth–their places are awesome.