Community Calendar

Join the City of Lakeland for its 8th annual Holly Jolly Jingle Bell Jog 5k on the scenic Three Parks Trail, December 10 at 7:30 am.

Holiday attire and cheer, are welcome!!

Receive $5 off the race using the coupon code “Runners”.

Grab your favorite Antlers & DASH to the finish line at Noah’s Ark of Central Florida, 1st Annual Reindeer Run 5K, on Saturday, December 10th at 9 AM! Join in all the reindeer games, sleigh rides, food trucks & music at Noah’s Ark of Central Florida!! Registration is $25 per runner/walker, you can sponsor a resident or become a Reindeer Run 5K Sponsor. We look forward to seeing you Blitzen across the finish line! All proceeds benefit individuals with intellectual & developmental disabilities.

This event will be held on Saturday Morning, December 17th 2022. It is a Half Marathon, 10k, 5k, and 9 Divisions of Kid Sprints event.

Pre-race registration and packet pick-up will be Friday evening, 4PM to 8PM at Beymer United Methodist Church on Lake Howard.

Race-morning registration and packet pick up will be at the same location starting at 6AM.

The race is staged around Lake Howard Drive and through the lovely Interlaken Neighborhood. It is also flat and fast with water stops throughout the course. The race will have many volunteers posted to help assure safe conditions. There will be seasonal music at many intersections.

Use code ” LRC5″ for a $5 discount

We’re having a party!  2022 marks 50 years of the Lakeland Runners Club bringing the running community together, and we are kicking off a year of celebration with a running festival. There will be music, food, and fun – whether you are a kid or a kid at heart!

One of the greatest things about the sport of running is that athletes of every ability can participate together in the same event, but it’s rare to see everyone during the entire race, so we’re shaking things up a bit and holding our running festival at the George Jenkins High School track.

Friends and family are invited to attend – come learn more about the LRC, enjoy the camaraderie of the day, and cheer in the stands.

Schedule of Events
7:00 AM – Heat 1 50-Minute Run
8:00 AM – Heat 2 50-Minute Run
9:00 AM – Heat 3 50-Minute Run
10:00 AM – Youth Races
11:00 AM – T-Rex Race
12:00 PM – 1-Mile Time Trial

Hot breakfast will be served from 8:00 AM until 11:30 AM. Each participant will receive one breakfast ticket with their entry. Additional tickets are available for pre-purchase for spectators and guests.

The Inaugural St. Joseph Catholic School Nun Nun will be an exciting 3.1 mile run/walk. It will be a flat course out and back, PR friendly along the chain of lakes trail.

All proceeds go to St. Joseph Catholic School.

There will also be a virtual option if you cannot join us on January 21.

Join us for a scenic run around Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland, Florida to benefit Common Ground Playground – a park where children of varying abilities can explore and discover with imaginative play experiences. The four Rotary Clubs of Lakeland have worked together to support this park since its inception and proceeds from this annual race support the ongoing maintenance.

Wider start-the first mile will be run in the street before moving onto the Lake Hollingsworth trail.

Finisher medals to the first 700. M/F age groups are “under 10”, “over 80”, and all five year groups in between. M/F overall, masters and grandmasters plaques.

Long-sleeved ladies, unisex and youth tech shirts.

Kids fun zone, fun dashes with glo-stick bracelets and more.

The Hunt for Sasquatch is an outdoor trail race that features a 10k, 5k and 1 mile fun run! The courses will wind through the trails of Bone Valley ATV Park and consist of uneven terrain, small hills and possible Sasquatch sightings! Fun for all ages!

10K- No Color
5K- No Color
1 mile- Color Trail Run

The Promise Run will take place rain or shine at the Lake Mirror Promenade in Downtown Lakeland. 121 South Lake Avenue, Lakeland, Florida 33801

Entry fees are non-refundable, non-transferable and cannot be deferred to another runner or year.

Schedule of Events – March 4, 2023

6:00am                Packet Pickup and Registration + Kids Run registration

7:00am                10k start

8:35am                5k start

8:45am*              10k Awards
Kids Run will begin after the completion of the 5k

9:50am*              5k Awards

*Tentative starts, based on race completion times

Polk Senior Games is an annual two-week series of 33 Olympic-style sports and games for men and women 50 years of age and over. The 30th Polk Senior Games begin on Saturday, February 25th and end on Saturday, March 11. The Games inspire an active lifestyle, combine an interest in sports and games with fun and fellowship, promote a positive image of seniors and recognize their efforts and achievements, and encourage volunteerism.

Road Race 5K, 5000 Meter Walk and a 1500 Meter Walk are offered.

Office: 515 East Boulevard St, Bartow 33830

Call 863-533-0055 for the entry booklet to be mailed the first week of January.

Join the Lakeland Runners Club for an evening 5k road race and walk which routes around Lake Mirror and Lake Morton, a scenic and certified course through Lakeland’s historic district and views of the city’s beautiful lakes. The race will be chip timed.  This race is held in conjunction with the Mayfaire by the Lake art festival on Lake Morton. A portion of the proceeds from the Lakeland Runners Club’s Mayfaire 5k will benefit Polk Museum of Art.

The first Mayfaire 5k was held May 5, 1980.

Let’s get #SweatyforScholarships

Proceeds from the Summer Sunrise Watermelon Series goes towards scholarships for Polk County graduates administered through the Polk Education Foundation. The Lakeland Runners Club has contributed to the PEF since 2012 – the list of scholarship recipients is available on the LRC website.

The Summer Sunrise Watermelon Race Series was born out of a desire to have low-cost local races during the hot summer months when it can be hard to stay motivated. The series has become an established venue for competition and an annual celebration of fitness. It continues to be popular with both experienced and casual runners alike. Many of the local high school cross country teams use it as a tune-up for their season. The series is comprised of three 5K (3.1 mile) races, each race hotter than the last.  All are run around Lake Hollingsworth, which is flat and conducive to fast times.

The Summer Watermelon 5k is run on a certified course.  All races are chip timed.  Cumulative results from the three races are used to determine official results.

The first series was run in 1996.

Let’s get #SweatyforScholarships

Proceeds from the Summer Sunrise Watermelon Series goes towards scholarships for Polk County graduates administered through the Polk Education Foundation. The Lakeland Runners Club has contributed to the PEF since 2012 – the list of scholarship recipients is available on the LRC website.

The Summer Sunrise Watermelon Race Series was born out of a desire to have low-cost local races during the hot summer months when it can be hard to stay motivated. The series has become an established venue for competition and an annual celebration of fitness. It continues to be popular with both experienced and casual runners alike. Many of the local high school cross country teams use it as a tune-up for their season. The series is comprised of three 5K (3.1 mile) races, each race hotter than the last.  All are run around Lake Hollingsworth, which is flat and conducive to fast times.

The Summer Watermelon 5k is run on a certified course.  All races are chip timed.  Cumulative results from the three races are used to determine official results.

The first series was run in 1996.

Let’s get #SweatyforScholarships

Proceeds from the Summer Sunrise Watermelon Series goes towards scholarships for Polk County graduates administered through the Polk Education Foundation. The Lakeland Runners Club has contributed to the PEF since 2012 – the list of scholarship recipients is available on the LRC website.

The Summer Sunrise Watermelon Race Series was born out of a desire to have low-cost local races during the hot summer months when it can be hard to stay motivated. The series has become an established venue for competition and an annual celebration of fitness. It continues to be popular with both experienced and casual runners alike. Many of the local high school cross country teams use it as a tune-up for their season. The series is comprised of three 5K (3.1 mile) races, each race hotter than the last.  All are run around Lake Hollingsworth, which is flat and conducive to fast times.

The Summer Watermelon 5k is run on a certified course.  All races are chip timed.  Cumulative results from the three races are used to determine official results.

The first series was run in 1996.

The 10k is the oldest annual race in Polk County and runs through the Lakeland chain of lakes and historic Lake Morton district, encompassing three lakes during the course. The Lake to Lake 10k is run on a certified course (FL19044TY).  The race will be chip timed.

The Lake to Lake 10k was founded in 1977.