By The Char Fitness Club team
The first weekend of December is a big one for runners around Montclair. In two days you can run a holiday 5K in Caldwell, a trail race in South Mountain Reservation, the Doughnut Run through Montclair, or a very silly egg nog mile. Here's what's on, how to pick, and how to get your legs ready in the weeks before.
Saturday, December 5: two Essex County races
MSDA 5K Reindeer Run/Walk, Caldwell
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 9:30 AM. The award ceremony is at 11:00 AM.
- Where: St. Aloysius Church Gymnasium, 235 Bloomfield Ave, Caldwell, NJ (entrance behind the church).
- Entry: $35 plus a SignUp fee from November 1. Register by November 1 to guarantee a long-sleeve race shirt.
- Packet pickup in Montclair: Thursday, December 3, from 3 to 6 PM at 603 Bloomfield Ave. There's also pickup in Caldwell on Friday, December 4, from 4 to 8 PM, and on race morning from 8:00 to 9:15 AM.
- Good to know: it's a run or walk, with a virtual option from December 5 to 12. Proceeds support Mount St. Dominic Academy.
Details and registration are on RunSignup and the Mount St. Dominic Academy site.
NJ Trail Series Winter Race, South Mountain Reservation
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026. The half marathon starts at 9:00 AM, the 10K at 9:30 AM and the 5K at 10:00 AM. Check-in opens at 8:00 AM.
- Where: near the Dog Park at South Mountain Reservation, 12 Bear Lane.
- Course: a loop of fire roads, single track, hills and some pavement. The 5K is one loop, the 10K two and the half marathon four, with aid about every three miles.
- Entry: prices go up by $5 as race day gets closer. Online registration ends December 2, and race-day registration is available.
Get the details from the NJ Trail Series or register on RunSignup.
Sunday, December 6: Montclair's Doughnut Run and the Egg Nog Slog
The Montclair Doughnut Run
The 5K starts at 9:00 AM in front of Rand Park on North Fullerton Avenue and finishes at Montclair Bread Company on Label Street, with doughnuts at the end. Part of the proceeds goes to the Human Needs Food Pantry of Montclair. We wrote a whole Doughnut Run training plan, and the organizers have the details at Trials of Miles.
Egg Nog Slog 1 Mile All Star Classic
This one is for fun. At 10:00 AM at South Mountain Reservation (374 Walker Road, West Orange), you drink 8 oz of egg nog, run or hike a quarter-mile loop, and repeat that four times. Entry is free, you bring your own nog and cup, and there are dairy and non-dairy divisions. Registration closes December 5 on UltraSignup.
How to choose a December race
- Want a classic holiday road 5K? Pick the Reindeer Run or the Doughnut Run.
- Want something harder? The South Mountain trail race has hills and single track, plus a half marathon if you want a long one.
- Running with family? The Reindeer Run welcomes walkers, and the Doughnut Run has a kids' dash.
- Doing two? A Saturday 5K and the Doughnut Run on Sunday is doable if you take the first one easy.
Getting your legs ready at Char
Most people don't run out of breath in a 5K. Their hips, glutes and core tire first, and their form falls apart. Trails add uneven ground and downhills, which ask more of your ankles and knees. Two coached classes a week next to your runs make a real difference.
- Strength: weight training with a focus on form. Build the legs and hips that carry you up South Mountain's hills.
- Sweat: cardio and high-intensity intervals. A good swap for one hard run, and easier on your joints.
- The Trilogy: strength, conditioning and recovery in one session, for weeks when you only have time for one class.
- Stretch: guided mobility and flexibility work. Book it the day after your longest run.
Classes are capped at 12, so the coach can watch your form and adjust any move to your level. Tell them which race you're doing.
A simple plan for the weeks before
- 2–3 easy runs a week, with one a little longer each week
- 1 Strength class and 1 Sweat or Trilogy class
- 1 Stretch class after your long run
- In the last week, run shorter, keep one lighter class early in the week, and skip anything new or hard
If you're also running Thanksgiving morning, our Ashenfelter 8K plan leads right into December.
Train with us before race weekend: start with a free week
If you've never been to Char, the free week is an easy way to start. Book in Mindbody, then find us at 8 Hartley St., Unit A + B, Montclair, behind the auto shop on one-way Hartley Street. We have a step-free entrance, lockers and changing rooms, and street parking on Hartley St., Washington St. and Bloomfield Ave. New to classes? Read getting back into fitness after time off first.
