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Three holiday races are on the Morris County registration calendar between Thanksgiving weekend and New Year’s Day: a donut 5K with a dog walk in Parsippany on Sunday, Nov. 29, a hot cocoa trail 5K and 10K at Central Park of Morris County on Saturday, Dec. 12, and the 10th St. Mark’s New Year’s Day 5K in Long Valley on Friday, Jan. 1, 2027. We checked every Morris County listing on RunSignup, where all three take registration, and pulled the start times, fees and charities from the race pages themselves.
Thanksgiving morning trots are a separate list. For those, see our guide to turkey trots in Morris County and nearby.
Duck Donut Holiday 5K and 2K Pup Strut, Parsippany: Sunday, Nov. 29
The 3rd Annual Duck Donut Holiday 5K and 2K Pup Strut starts at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2026, at its new home on Sylvan Way in Parsippany, listed as the Parsippany Hilton at 4 Sylvan Way. The 5K is a flat course for runners and walkers, and dogs on leashes walk the 2K, sponsored by Tater Bear Treats. Every 5K finisher gets a medal and a fresh donut from Duck Donuts on Route 10. There are no timed awards and no water stop on the course; Culligan Water is at the finish.
According to the race registration page, the 5K is $38 through Nov. 10 and $48 from Nov. 11 to race morning, and the Pup Strut is $25, then $30, plus processing fees. Shirts and medals are guaranteed for anyone registered by Nov. 9. The race benefits Toys for Tots in Dover, and runners are asked to bring an unwrapped toy; organizers want to fill four collection boxes this year. Bib pickup is Thursday, Nov. 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Duck Donuts on Route 10 in Whippany, with race day pickup from 8:30 a.m. It runs rain, snow or shine.
Morris Hot Cocoa 5K and 10K, Central Park of Morris County: Saturday, Dec. 12
The Morris Hot Cocoa 5K and 10K starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026, at Central Park of Morris County, the same county park that hosts the Homebound Hustle 5K. The race lists its address as 1 Governor Chris Christie Drive in Parsippany-Troy Hills, and runners enter from North Cottage Road. This is a trail race: a grassy, multi-loop course with dirt, gravel and a few hills, no road crossings, and trail shoes encouraged. There is no time limit.
All proceeds support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, according to the Hot Cocoa race page. The 5K is $35 through Nov. 12, $40 from Nov. 13 to 29, $45 from Nov. 30 to Dec. 8 and $50 after that; the 10K runs $40, $45, $50 and $55 on the same schedule. Finishers get hot cocoa, bundt cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes of Morristown and an event medal, the first 250 registrants get a shirt, and the top three in each 10-year age group earn medals. Packet pickup is at Fleet Feet in Morristown on the afternoon of Friday, Dec. 11, and on site from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on race day.
St. Mark’s New Year’s Day 5K, Long Valley: Friday, Jan. 1, 2027
The St. Mark’s New Year’s Day 5K turns 10 when it starts at 11:45 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 1, 2027, from 59 Spring Lane in Long Valley. The course is USATF certified, and the organizers call it challenging. Registration is $30 through Black Friday, Nov. 27, and $40 from Nov. 28 to Dec. 31, a fee that includes a hoodie while supplies last, per the St. Mark’s race page. In-person registration on race morning opens at 10:30 a.m. for $45. Bagels donated by Hot Bagels Abroad, bananas, water and hot chocolate wait indoors for the awards and prize drawings. The race goes on rain, snow or shine.
One more note for runners who planned on a fourth race: the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association’s Bighearted 5K in Denville, which still shows a Jan. 1 date on its listing, says on the same page that it has been postponed until spring 2027.
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