This past December I ran the Festival of Lights 5K, a race traversing riverfront neighborhoods and along shops in Jacksonville, Florida. It was drizzly and cool, the perfect weather for a race.

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A few of us signed up, and we all finished at different times, making for a fun and competitive evening. I didn’t run as fast as I had wanted, but I enjoyed the run nonetheless, appreciating the cheers from people coming out from their homes to encourage us on. Some runners donned Christmas-themed outfits and put little jingle bells on their shoes to make the race even more festive.

At the end we received some cool medals, and to celebrate our accomplishment, we headed home to shower before going out for some celebratory drinks at a nearby bar. There we played cards while enjoying a few pints of beer. I also indulged in some much-deserved pasta for dinner that night.

Looking ahead, I plan to sign up for some more races, including the city’s most famous, the Gate River Run. This 9.3-mile race weaves through downtown Jacksonville, crossing two bridges and finishing at Everbank Stadium. I ran my first Gate River Run last year and had such a blast, so this year I hope to run it faster and set a new goal for myself.

— Aoife O’Riordan, associate editor