It’s time to mix up your running. We know that a lot of races require you to get up in the dark of the early morning, which is not a win for our night owls, but also means while you get sunrise, you miss out on some other cool experiences. From a glow in-the-dark experience to seeing shooting stars, a night race could be just what you need to bring some joy back to your running.
Organized night races often have a fun, party-like atmosphere that’s lacking in more serious, daytime races. Many also offer swag like glowsticks or headlamps, and offer festive additions like live music and neon gear, too.
Plus we can’t forget the truly epic races that showcase the beauty that emerges in nature at night. Whether it’s city lights or a moonlit country trail, everything seems a bit more magical under the stars.
So, if we’ve convinced you, here are 5 you should add to your list in 2025.
Elder Creek Night Runs
Anza, CA, July 12
This race takes place two days after the Buck Moon, which will still be 90% illuminated during the event. The desert sunset and manzanita trees will be on full display as well.
What’s a Buck Moon, you ask?
Well, it’s a full moon in July that’s named for the fact that male deer have entered their full-growth mode.
The race itself is a 4.6-mile loop, and they offer distances as short as 9 miles and as long as 50K, the latter of which takes place on the Cahuilla Band of Indians reservation.
As a note, you do need a headlamp to participate.
Runner Colton Carter ran it for the first time and had a great time:
“1 aid station at the start/finish with everything you need. Hope you come ready to run in the heat! Great vibes, $10 for parking is eh after paying a high entry fee for 50K. Nice shirt at the finish, would suggest having a timing mat, hand timing is not reliable. Free photos, great people. Will be back next year.”
The Marfa Lights Trail
Marfa, TX
No race date, just open running
If you love all things spooky, mysterious, and inexplicable, then you’ve gotta make your way down to West Texas to check out the Marfa Lights.
They were first spotted in the 1800s and have drawn stargazers, scientists, and conspiracy theorists like flies ever since.
The glowing orbs or flickering balls of light are typically white, yellow, orange, or red and float, dart, merge, and zip across the night sky.
They are most often seen near Mitchell Flat, which is about 9 miles east of Marfa, and there is a viewing platform there where you will meet other curiosity seekers nightly.
Most scientists believe the lights are a result of atmospheric reflections, effects from tectonic stress on quartz, or headlights and campfires distorted at a distance.
The more open-minded among us blame ghosts or Native American spirits, UFOs, or other energy anomalies that emerge due to the area’s unique geology.
If you’d like to see them for yourself and form your own theory while going for a job, there is a half-mile trail that offers a perfect view of the nearby sky.
You’re most likely to see the lights after sunset or sunrise.
Perseid Meteor Shower
Great Basin National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Big Bend National Park
July 17-August 24
Every 133 years, a large comet called Swift-Tuttle orbits the sun. Every year, its ice and rock debris collide with the Earth’s atmosphere, and we get a light show called the Perseid Meteor Shower.
From July 14th until the middle of August, our planet is treated to hundreds of meteors streaking the sky in what’s probably your best chance to wish on a shooting star for another year.
Though it is visible across the United States, you’re going to get the most bang for your buck in places with low light pollution.
- Great Basin National Park is located in Eastern Nevada and is a designated International Dark Sky Park.
- Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado also offers fantastic views, and during the day you can also check out the tallest sand dunes in the U.S.
- Brewster County, Texas, is home to Big Bend National Park, and is also remote and black as pitch once the sun goes down. There are over 800,000 acres of protected, unspoiled wilderness to choose from, and the views of the night sky will absolutely not disappoint.
Although you might be tempted to lay on your back and contemplate the sky (and you absolutely should do some of that, too), there are also trails in all of these parks that are perfect for a nighttime jog or a challenging hike under the stars.
Glow/Rave Fest
Cities all over the USA – and the globe – host these fun, energetic, and colorful events. Part run, part party, these events are defined by courses illuminated by black lights and neon.
Runners begin the 3K-5K race in white or black clothing, and by the end they are all covered in glowing powder. “Glow Zones” along the course feature different colors, resulting in multicolored runners all ready to party at the finish line.
People of all skill levels participate, and there are no winners or losers in the race itself.
Pretty much everyone that attends the race and the mini music festival afterward ends up feeling like a winner, though, just from attending.
Repeat attendee Lauren Andrews raved about her recent experience:
“The glow run was an absolute blast and definitely the best glow run ever! The entire course was lit up with vibrant neon colors and glow sticks, creating a magical and energetic atmosphere. The organizers did an amazing job!”
You can check this website for a race near you.
Night Nation Runs
Dubbed the nation’s “first running music festival,” there’s no way you’ll leave a Night Nation Run thinking you wish you’d had a better time.
The 5K runs are dubbed “fun runs.” They’re not for a time or a focus on crossing the finish line first. Combined with a music festival, DJs, light shows, bubble zones, neon and black lights, glow sticks, and pretty much anything else you can think of that glows in the dark, it’s basically an excuse to party with a bunch of fellow fitness enthusiasts.
plurnt_af told Reddit he was pleasantly surprised by his experience:
“Surprisingly fun actually. If you would already want to run a 5k its a cool and different way to do it and totally worth it. A lot of ppl walk it and are just there to have fun. And there’s a decent show at the end of it too but obv not better than going to a festival.”
If you’re looking for a little exercise and a lot of fun, check out their website and find a race near you.
Run, walk, jog, hike, or lay, consider this list your sign that this should be your year to lace up your trainers and spend some time in nature at night.
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