Rudolph Run 2026

Every December the Westerville Lions Club hosts the Rudolph 5K Run/Walk, and it has turned into a real Westerville tradition. Hundreds of people come out, and not all of them are runners. We get walkers, stroller pushers, dog walkers, wagon pullers, and plenty of folks who just show up to watch. Last year we even had a team dressed as Santa and his reindeer.

This year's run is Sunday, December 6, 2026 at the Westerville Sports Complex, 325 N Cleveland Ave. Check-in and packet pickup open at 1:30 PM at the shelter building, and the 5K steps off at 2:30 PM sharp. There are no late starts. Awards are at 3:30 at the finish line, and everyone needs to be done by 4:00.

The course runs through the Sports Complex and around Heritage Park, and Winterfest is going the whole time with food trucks, activities for families and spectators, and a visit from Santa.

We also run the Elementary School Challenge and the Middle School Challenge, where schools compete for the most participants and prizes go to the winning schools. Get your kids signed up under their school and help them take the title.

The Rudolph Run is our biggest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds go to the Westerville Lions Club Foundation, a 501(c)(3), which supports more than 15 local organizations including WARM, The Big Bus, Pilot Dogs, and the Central Ohio Diabetes Association.

Want to sponsor? Sponsorship levels start at $250, and anything received by October 31 gets your name or logo on the race shirt. Contact Mike McCusker or Howard Baum at info@westervillelions.org.