The third annual Christmas Light Run was held Dec. 15 in downtown Plant City.
A brisk breeze blew through Plant City Tuesday evening as runners posed for photos under the soft red and green glow of the downtown Christmas lights.
Members of the Plant City Running Club — along with several of their friends and community members — turned on their Christmas light necklaces, rolled up the sleeves of their Christmas sweaters and fondly praised the absurdity of their fellow joggers’ festive hats as they waited for the run to begin.
Dozens gathered in McCall Park. Many were experienced runners. Some planned on walking the route while others brought along their four-legged family members — also decked out in Christmas apparel — for the fun evening. Every year, the Running Club hosts the Christmas Light Run as a means of offering a unique way to see the plethora of holiday lights erected throughout downtown Plant City.
Jillian Wilder, a member of the Plant City Running Club, reminded everyone to sign in as they started to trickle into the park and frequently referenced the map on the event’s Facebook page that outlined the 1.5-mile route. The run started and ended in McCall Park and lapped up through historic downtown, back toward City Hall, down the brick streets of the core of downtown and looped back up at the park. From there, many families stuck around to take Christmas photos while others made plans to head out for a late dinner.
“We do this every year and make it a public event on Facebook so that anyone who sees it will feel welcome to come,” Wilder said. “We really just want to help people come out and enjoy the lights that the city puts out and also have an event where we can all kind of enjoy each other’s company. This is the third run we’ve done and I think this year it was more important than ever.”
“Obviously with COVID it’s great to have an outdoor event that you can do at your own pace, but what we were finding was… there were a lot of people who didn’t even realize the city had put up the lights again this year. So some people were really excited to come out and see them.”
While many faces in the crowd were familiar and have been coming all three years, several experienced the unique Christmas Light Run for the first time. David Wilson-Wolfe, a member of the Plant City Running Club, did the festive run for the first time and leaned into the holiday theme. Adorned in a full body Christmas suit that made him appear to be a giant gift, Wilson-Wolfe was at the head of the pack and made sure to keep spirits high as the run commenced.
He said he fully supports the running club and hopes some of the attendees who weren’t yet members would realize this was a group they would love to be a part of.
“There’s something for everyone pace-wise and there’s a lot of encouragement and feedback from this group that helps motivate each other and helps everyone move forward toward their goal,” Wilson-Wolfe said. “Some people’s goal is to lose weight, others hope to gain fitness — that’s what I think some people don’t think about, it’s not all about losing weight — and whatever it is you are hoping to obtain by joining the running club, this group is here to encourage you along that journey. And we have fun doing it.”
The run started at 6 p.m. and ended by 7 p.m. It’s always a quick event, but one many look forward to every year.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Plant City Running Club, visit its Facebook page. The group is free to join and does not have dues. There are a variety of weekly runs that are organized to fit every schedule and the details of each of the meet-ups are posted on the club’s Facebook page.
