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Winter Garden’s Donut Dash 5K is Nov. 7, and every donut you eat takes 30 seconds off your time

The Donut Dash 5K runs Saturday, Nov. 7, from Newton Park in Winter Garden. Eat donuts in the donut zones to cut your time, and bring the kids for a free half-mile…

Runners in race bibs gather in front of a Donut Dash 5K banner by the lake at dawn, one holding a giant sprinkled donut prop
Photo: Winter Garden Police Athletic League

The Winter Garden Police Athletic League fundraiser starts at Newton Park on Lake Apopka, and kids run free in a half-mile fun run with an adult entry.

Quick Facts

  • When: Saturday, Nov. 7; the 5K starts at 8 a.m. and the kids fun run at 9:30 a.m.
  • Where: Newton Park, 1 Surprise Drive, Winter Garden
  • Cost: $50 plus a $4 sign-up fee online through 8 a.m. Friday, Nov. 6; $55 plus fee on race day
  • Spots: 95 left as of Nov. 3, and race-day signup is only open if it hasn’t sold out

How the donut math works

You can run it as a normal 5K, but the course has three donut zones, at mile 1, mile 2 and mile 3. Every donut you finish inside a zone takes 30 seconds off your final time, so four donuts is two minutes. Eat more than 12 and each extra donut is worth a full minute. Donuts have to be finished inside the zones.

The entry fee covers a T-shirt, a race medal and free Krispy Kreme donuts. There are medals for the top two male and female finishers in each age group and the top three overall, plus a prize for the best donut costume.

Bring the kids

Kids 5 to 10 run free in a half-mile mini-donut fun run with an adult entry, and the organizer says more than one child can join at no extra cost. Kids line up around 9:15 a.m. for a 9:30 a.m. start, after the main race.

Packet pickup

Pick up your packet Friday, Nov. 6, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Winter Garden Police Department, 110 Henderson St., at the north side entrance. Late registration and race-morning pickup open at 6:15 a.m. at Newton Park, and late registration has to go through RunSignup. The virtual 5K is already full.

Where the money goes

Proceeds support the Winter Garden Police Athletic League. According to the race page, that pays for a free eight-week summer camp for 70 kids and a holiday program that gives gifts and meal vouchers to about 400 local children.

The farmers market is a short walk from the lake, and that same morning it hosts a free Health & Harvest Festival from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Our free in Winter Garden guide has the details.

Why We’re Hyped

A 5K where eating counts toward your time is a fun twist on a normal race, and the free kids run lets the whole family take part on the same morning.

The Details

  • Date: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026
  • Times: Late registration and packet pickup 6:15 a.m. · 5K 8 a.m. · Kids fun run 9:30 a.m. (line up about 9:15) · Event ends 11 a.m.
  • Start and finish: Newton Park, 1 Surprise Drive, Winter Garden, FL 34787
  • Price: $50 plus $4 sign-up fee online through 8 a.m. Nov. 6 · $55 plus fee on race day · Kids 5–10 free with an adult entry
  • Packet pickup: Friday, Nov. 6, 3–7 p.m., Winter Garden Police Department, 110 Henderson St. (north side entrance)
  • Links: Race page and registration · City of Winter Garden race info

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