2026 Dixie Days Dash

A Pioneer-Themed Fun Run, Not a Race Clock

The Dixie Days Dash is a 2K and 4K on foot through historic downtown St. George, timed to the pioneer-heritage theme of Dixie Days week. It isn't chip-timed and there's no searchable results page afterward -- race staff simply note the first three men, women, and youth finishers (12 and under) in each distance for pioneer-themed awards, and every other finisher gets the same medal regardless of pace. The Dash has run every year since the first Dixie Days in 2024, which makes the 2026 edition the third.

The Course: Out and Back From Vernon Worthen Park

Both distances start at the pickleball courts in Vernon Worthen Park, at 200 South and 400 East. The 2K turns around at 400 East, a short out-and-back close to the start. The 4K keeps going west to a second turnaround near 100 South, where the city sets up an aid station and restrooms. Because the course runs on the same blocks used for the Dixie Days parade a short while later, expect the closures to widen rather than clear as the morning goes on.

Race Morning: Packet Pickup and the Early Start

Packet pickup opens at the start line about forty-five minutes ahead of the gun on Saturday, September 19, 2026, and the race goes off early enough to finish and clear the road before the parade lines up on the same streets. Arriving right at gun time leaves no room to grab a late bib; the 45-minute pickup window exists because downtown parking fills fast once parade crews start staging their floats.

Finish Line: Scones, Medals, and Sticking Around

Every finisher crosses into a small party back at the pickleball courts: a scone from the St. George Exchange Club, a medal, and enough of a breather to watch the top three men, women, and youth runners in each distance collect pioneer-themed awards. Because the parade route and the Dash's finish line overlap, most runners don't drive off afterward -- they walk over and claim a curb.

Who Lines Up

This is a family event built around kids and first-time runners, not a competitive road race. The 2K suits younger children or anyone running their first organized distance; the 4K gives slightly older kids and adults a bit more mileage without asking for training-level fitness. Families moving to St. George with school-age kids will find it a low-pressure way to meet the neighborhood outdoors, a different animal from the St. George Marathon each October, which is chip-timed, competitive, and not aimed at first-timers the way the Dash is.

Into the Parade

The Dash exists inside Dixie Days week, the city's pioneer-heritage celebration, and it's built to hand off directly into it: the same blocks that close for the run reopen minutes later as the parade route, so there's no drive between the two. Runners who want more pioneer history before the floats arrive can walk over to the downtown historic sites a few blocks from the start line. Families who'd rather skip the running but still want a morning downtown can start at the St. George Children's Museum instead and catch the parade when it passes.