Ugly Sweater 5K 2026

The Ugly Sweater 5K takes place in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park during the holiday season. The dress code is central to the event: runners are encouraged to wear their ugliest holiday sweaters. This 5K is organized by NYCRUNS, featuring pace-based start corrals on Well House Drive and the main Festival Area in the Nethermead. Runners can collect bibs and shirts, check bags, use restrooms, and return to this area post-race. The course follows just under one full loop of Prospect Park. Water stations are available along the route, leading to a final push up Center Drive before the finish. Participants receive Gatorade, water, fruit, a bagel with schmear, a tech shirt, and a medal that the race playfully calls “the ugliest medal ever,” though it’s also acknowledged as quite attractive. It caters more to a family and friends holiday run than a strictly competitive event, yet the course maintains its USATF-certified status, consistent with other NYCRUNS races.