Santa Hustle – Smokies Half Marathon & 5K

The race is modeled on the Santa Hustle 5K, which brings thousands of runners out onto the streets of Chicago each December, decked out in a red long-sleeve t-shirt designed to look like Santa’s coat, a Santa stocking cap, complete with puffy white ball at the end) and a white fluffy beard to wear throughout the race’s five kilometers. (For a look at what runners receive at the packet pickup to wear during the race, see the race website below.) Runners and walkers will start both the half marathon and the 5K on the grounds of the Wilderness at the Smokies Hotel & Waterpark Resort, which lies just north of downtown Sevierville, off the Winfield Dunn Parkway. From there, the race follows basically a long out-and-back route down the Winfield Dunn Parkway and Highway 441, southward all the way down to the race turnaround point, which lies just north of the intersection with Wears Valley Road. Once runners reach the turnaround — the mid-way point of the half marathon — they’ll then make the turn and head back northward along Highway 441, all the way back up to the Wilderness at the Smokies Resort for the race finish. All along the way, the race course features the green hills and smoky haze that gives the “Smoky Mountains” their name, as runners make their way along the river valley carved by the Little Pigeon River. While the 5K race is open to both runners and walkers — and, like the 13.1-mile race, follows an out-and-back course down Highway 441 that starts and finishes back at the resort — the half marathon is open to runners only, with a 3.5 hour time limit. Organizers also plan to have Christmas holiday themed decorations throughout the course, including candy stations in addition to the race aid stations.