The 49th Key Biscayne Lighthouse Run starts at the foot of the Cape Florida Lighthouse on Saturday, November 14, with the 10K going off at 7:40 a.m. and the 5K run and walk at 7:50 a.m. Online registration costs $40, and the organizers state there is no race-day registration, so anyone planning to run has until Friday, November 13 to sign up.

An Island Race Held Each November

The race is held on the second Saturday in November, according to the Village of Key Biscayne's special events page, which lists it among the island's annual traditions alongside the Fall Festival, the Veterans Day ceremony and Winterfest. A volunteer Lighthouse Run Committee organizes it, and the Village co-sponsors it with the state park and other groups.

Both courses start and finish inside Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, 1200 South Crandon Blvd., near the base of the lighthouse. The route runs on park trails and then through Village streets before returning to the park.

Race Details

The race website lays out the rules runners need to know:

The 10K is a running event only, and runners must finish within 1 hour and 20 minutes. The 5K is open to both runners and walkers. Walkers are not judged and receive awards only if they place within their age group.

Age groups for the 5K start at 8 and under, followed by 9 to 11 and 12 to 14, then five-year groups from 15 through 69, and a 70 and over division. The 10K begins with a 14 and under group and uses the same five-year breakdown above that.

Every finisher receives a finisher's medal. Plaques and gift certificates go to the top male and female finishers in the open field and to the top Key Biscayne finishers in each race. The top three open finishers and the top Key Biscayne finisher in each age group also receive medals.

Packet Pickup

Race packets, which hold the bib number and the event shirt, can be collected early at the Key Biscayne Community Center, 10 Village Green Way. Pickup there runs Wednesday, November 11 through Friday, November 13, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Any packet not collected by then will be available at the park starting at 6:15 a.m. on race morning.

Getting There on Race Morning

The park entrance opens at 6:15 a.m. and closes at 7:15 a.m. for the race, so drivers need to arrive before that cutoff. The park entrance fee is waived for the event, and participants may stay in the park for the rest of the day. Parking attendants direct cars to open spaces. Visitors coming from the mainland cross the Rickenbacker Causeway, where the race site lists a $2.25 toll.

After the Finish

The organizers list a post-race gathering with complimentary massages for runners, food, water, music and adult beverages for those of legal age.

Where the Money Goes

All net profits from the race are donated to local organizations and charities, many of which supply volunteers on race day. The 2026 list on the race website includes MAST Academy athletics, Key Biscayne Presbyterian School, the Key Biscayne Soccer Club, the Key Biscayne Rugby Club, the Key Biscayne Girl Scouts, the Michael Rides On Foundation, iPads for Soldiers and several memorial and scholarship funds, among them the Eileen McCaughan Memorial Fund administered through the Key Biscayne Community Foundation.

How to Sign Up

Registration is online only, through the race's RunSignup page, at $40 per entry, and it closes on Friday, November 13. Results from past years and course records, including separate records for Key Biscayne residents, are posted on the race website. Questions can be sent through the race's contact page.

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