Family-friendly 5K fun run through the city centre with festive fancy dress, part of the countdown to Christmas.
The Phoenix Energy Belfast City 5K Festive Fun Run starts at Belfast City Hall on Sunday 15 November, a flat 5K route through the city centre that's open to walkers, runners and joggers alike. It's a family-friendly one, and seasonal fancy dress is welcome, so you can turn up in your full Christmas gear if you fancy it. The whole thing is staged by Belfast City Council as part of the city's European City of Sport 2026 programme, and it forms part of the countdown to Christmas.
Because it's a fun run rather than a competitive race, it doesn't matter how you tackle the distance. You can run it, jog it, or just walk it with friends or family, and the flat route through the centre keeps it accessible. The fancy dress is a big part of the day, too — it's as much about the costumes as the running, so it's a good one to bring the kids along to.
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Behind the scenes, the event is put on by Belfast City Council in partnership with leisure partners GLL and ACES, the Worldwide Capitals and Cities of Sport Federation. It's one of the city's sporting dates for 2026, and since it falls in mid-November, it sits right in that window when the Christmas preparations are starting to kick in. The start is at Belfast City Hall, with the route taking you through the city centre.
