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https://bishopsevents.com/event/2026-christmas-in-july-5k-half/Points count towards our Year-Long 5k, Endurance, & Back of the Pack Series. Points will also count towards our Summer Series. Find more info about the series here.
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Come out and enjoy this scenic half & 5k in the heart of Georgetown near the Nation’s Capital. Both events run on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal path, however the Half Marathon begins/ends in Georgetown near the Potomac Boat Club while the 5K begins/ends at Fletcher’s Boat House.
Walkers are welcome to attend this event.
Virtual Race Option
We now offer a virtual run option for those who cannot make it on race day. Find more information about our virtual option on our Virtual Races page.
Runners Receive:
Finisher’s Medal, Technical (Drifit) Event Shirt, & A Chip Timed Event
Charity Information
This race benefits the Purple Heart Foundation. The mission of the Purple Heart Foundation is to enhance the quality of life of Purple Heart recipients and other honorably discharged veterans and their families though:
Critical Assistance Grants
Providing Resources Related To TBI, PTS, Mental Health, and Suicide Prevention
Academic Scholarships
Service Dogs
Race Start Times
Half – 6:30am (Half marathon has a time limit of 3:15 for completion) – Half starts & ends in Georgetown
If you think your pace for the half marathon is near or above three hours, please reach out to [email protected] to arrange an earlier start time as we want to accommodate all runners’ abilities.
5k – 7am – 5k starts & ends at Fletcher’s Boathouse
Registration Fees
5k – $35, until July 15 ($40)
Half – $70, until July 15 ($75)
***Price will increase on race morning by $5 for each distance
T-shirts guaranteed to runners registered before July 15. We will order extra t-shirts for those who register after that date, but it is on a first-come first-served basis.
T-Shirt Design
T-shirt design for the race is available here as soon as it has been approved.
Race Medal Design
Race medal designs can be viewed on the Friday before the race on the Bishops Events Facebook page or our Instagram page.
Course Maps can be found at
Half Marathon:
The half runs along the C&O Canal which is a light gravel dirt road with minimal elevation change for an out-and-back.
Back of the Pack time: 12:00
What is the Back of the Pack (BOTP)? It is not a cut off time, it is actually a series we have geared towards people who average higher than the BOTP listed above. This allows runners of similar pace to compete with each other and get series points. Visit Bishop’s events FAQ for more information about this and other questions you may have. https://bishopsevents.com/series-faqs/
5k: Fletcher’s Boathouse
This is an out-and-back route on the C&O Canal path which is a light gravel flat trail. There are no major elevation gains.
Back of the Pack time: 11:00
What is the Back of the Pack (BOTP)? It is not a cut off time, it is actually a series we have geared towards people who average higher than the BOTP listed above. This allows runners of similar pace to compete with each other and get series points. Visit Bishop’s events FAQ for more information about this and other questions you may have. https://bishopsevents.com/series-faqs/
Live Race Results
Live results will be posted on Athlinks.com. Additionally, there will be a QR code at the race for you to scan to immediately view your results. Final race results with series points will be posted to our website on the Monday following your race.
Runner tracking is now available when you sign up for a race with Bishop’s Events. Click on the green SMS button (see example below) at the end of your registration and have your race updates sent to your mobile device as well as those of your friends & family so they can track your race progress.
Awards
We award the top 3 men and women overall during our awards ceremony post-race. We also award the 1st & 2nd place Male and Female in these categories: 19&Under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, & 70+. Runners who place top 3 overall in their race are not eligible to also win their age groups.
Photos
We will post any photos taken by staff on our Facebook page by Tuesday after the event.
Social Media Challenge
On Tuesdays, we pick our favorite Instagram or Facebook post from the previous race weekend. The winner will receive 50% off a future race! Make sure to tag us in your race photos at:
Instagram: BishopsEventsLLC
Facebook: BishopsEvents
Packet Pickup
Packet pickup is available on race morning, we recommend arriving one hour before your event start time to check-in.
Race Day Registration
There will be no on-site race registration for this race.
Water Stations
There will be 7 water stations along the 1/2 marathon course at approximately mile markers 1.55, 3.8, 4.3, 6.55, 8.8, 9.3 & 11.55. One water station will be along the 5k course at approximately mile marker 1.55. Gatorade will be available at some water stations. Water stations are subject to change as deemed necessary.
Restrooms
Port-a-johns can be located near the check-in/registration area. – Georgetown
Restrooms can be located in the building near the registration area/start/finish line – Fletcher’s
Bag Check
We do not have an official bag check for this race. If needed, you may leave items at our timing table/tent at the finish line. We do not recommend leaving any valuables as we are not responsible for your items. Any items left and not picked up by the end of the race will be donated.
Volunteers
Volunteers should arrive approximately 60 minutes before the first race kicks off. We will assign volunteer tasks on race morning (water station, course marshals, finish line support, etc). You can find parking information under “Directions to Parking” with a latitude and longitude pin for where to meet.
Weather Policy
We are an all-weather race company (rain or shine or sleet or snow). We will email registered runners and post on social media if the race is cancelled, but this is quite rare, otherwise assume the race is taking place as scheduled.
Weekly weather reports are posted on the Thursday before race weekends on our Facebook page. Race officials may delay, change or postpone the event due to weather conditions. All registered runners will be notified via email of any changes. In most cases, a decision is not made until the night before the race, and a decision could come as late as the morning of the event.
Refunds & Transfers
To view our full refund/transfer policy, click here.
Banditing Policy
A bandit is defined as an unauthorized runner who participates in a race without officially registering or paying the entry fee. This practice can strain race resources like water, medical aid, and space, potentially affecting the experience and safety of registered participants.
While banditing a race seems like a victimless activity, please consider that as a race company, we have many factors to consider. Event safety and security of all participants is a top priority for us, and not knowing who is participating in our race can be a problem in case of injury or illness. Additionally, we provide supplies and personnel along our courses based on registration. Bandits can takeaway supplies that have not been allocated to them and this can cause the race to run low on first aid supplies, water, snacks, etc. There are also legal liabilities involved in case of a bandit runner possibly being injured during the race, as they haven’t signed any waivers during the registration process.
We do not allow banditing of our races, and violators may face removal from the course, disqualification from future events, as well as disqualification from the current event of any participant you may be running with.
Directions to Parking
Please note that the half marathon & the 5k start/end at 2 separate locations along the canal path. Please pay special attention to which event you are running to ensure that you park at the appropriate location! Half marathon starts/finishes in Georgetown near the Potomac Boat Club. 5K/10K starts/finishes at Fletcher’s Boathouse.
Half Marathon Parking Directions:
For parking, there are several parking garages and spaces along Water Street. If you use the address for the Potomac Boat Club (3530 Water St NW, Washington, DC 20007) that will get you near the Start/Finish Line. Once you are on Water St, look for parking. It will be difficult to turn around if you follow the GPS all the way to the Boat Club. The best way to locate this event is via GPS using this latitudinal and longitudinal pin: 38.904338, -77.070138
5K Parking Directions:
There is parking at Fletcher’s Boathouse (4940 Canal Rd NW, Washington, DC 20007). The best way to locate this event is via GPS using this latitudinal and longitudinal pin: 38.919527, -77.101225
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Event Venue
3530 Water St NW, Washington, DC 20007-3503, United States
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