500 spots open for Bright Nights 5K Road Race in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Get your laces ready, registration opens Monday for 500 available spots to participate in the Bright Nights 5K Road Race.

Each year the road race sells out fast! It features a one-of-a-kind event that takes runners along the 700,000 lights of Bright Nights at Forest Park on November 27th at 6:30 p.m.

Registration for the Spirit of Springfield’s Bright Nights 5K road race officially opens at midnight on Monday. The fee of $70 includes a long-sleeved hooded athletic shirt, a post-race soup supper, and a ticket to return to Bright Nights at Forest Park.

To register, visit brightnights.org. Runners must be at least 14 years old on race day. According to the Spirit of Springfield, headphones, baby strollers, pets, and bandit runners will not be allowed on the route. 

“We tell runners to prepare for a hilly course,” said Spirit of Springfield President Judy Matt.  “They will, however, be distracted and delighted by being immersed in the lights as they run past the dinosaur display, by the Barney Mansion, and through the Blizzard Tunnel to name just a few of the displays.”