The short version: Outside Run published a 10-race national Halloween roundup on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, and Texas runners do not need to leave the state to find the same seasonal hook. The local anchor is the Chupacabra Trail Run in Waco on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, with 5K and 15K trail races listed for an 8:30 a.m. start. Use it as the Central Texas pick, then scan the Halloween races in Texas hub if you want a road 5K, a kids run, or a costume-heavy option closer to home.
Why Halloween racing is the hook now
Halloween racing moved from local calendar note to national running story when Outside published its Oct. 1 roundup. That list highlighted 10 Halloween-season events around the country, from full-marathon options to short costume runs. The point for Texas runners is not that those races are the only choices. It is that the seasonal race window has reached the front of the calendar.
Texas has its own list to sort through. The site's Halloween hub is built for runners who want the holiday theme without booking a flight, and the October calendar is already clustered with races that use Halloween, zombies, pumpkins, costumes or Day of the Dead themes. If you are only making one quick decision, start with whether Oct. 31 itself matters. If it does, Waco has the trail angle.
The Texas anchor: Chupacabra in Waco
The Chupacabra Trail Run is the clearest Oct. 31 Texas fit because it lines up the holiday date with a trail setting in Cameron Park. The Lone Star Strides calendar lists the race in Waco, and the race page lists Redwood Shelter in Cameron Park as the event location.
RunSignup lists two paid events: a 5K Trail Run at $45 and a 15K Trail Run at $50, both starting at 8:30 a.m. The page says those prices increase after Oct. 3, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CDT. It also says 15K runners have a 3 1/2-hour course limit, which works out to the page's stated 22.5-minute-per-mile pace.
A few race-day details are worth checking before you choose the longer distance or a costume. The official page keeps dogs and baby strollers off the course, and it says all finishers receive a finisher medal. T-shirt sizes are guaranteed for runners who sign up by Oct. 19, 2026; after that, sizes are first-come, first-served until shirts run out. Early packet pickup is listed for Friday, Oct. 30, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Waco Running Company, with race-day pickup at Redwood Shelter from 7:30 to 8:15 a.m.
That makes Chupacabra a useful pick for Central Texas runners who want a real trail run, not just a Halloween label. It also belongs with the broader trail races in Texas list if you are using late October as a tuneup for winter dirt.
Other Texas Halloween-weekend choices to compare
If Waco is not your part of Texas, the calendar has several race styles on or near Halloween weekend. These are all RunSignup races listed on Lone Star Strides, so use the site race pages rather than going straight to RunSignup from the article.
| Texas race | Date and city | What the official page lists |
|---|---|---|
| King & Spalding's 2026 West U Halloween Dash and Kids' Fun Run Presented by West U Smiles | Sat., Oct. 31, Houston | 5K, kids fun run, stroller and dog division, 8:00 a.m. start window |
| Spooky Sprint- Dallas | Sat., Oct. 31, Garland | Youth dash and 1-mile choices, plus 5K, 10K, half-marathon, virtual and volunteer-then-run entries |
| Plano Pacers Boo Scoot 5K/10K and Free Kids 1K | Sat., Oct. 31, Plano | 5K and 10K at 8:00 a.m.; kids 1K after the 10K |
| CHRISTUS Health Halloween Hustle 5K & Kids Dash | Sat., Oct. 24, Tyler | 5K, kids dash and trunk-or-treat setting at the CHRISTUS Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute |
| Sheriff's Zombie Run | Sat., Oct. 24, El Paso | 6:00 p.m. zombie run at Ascarate Park, with the event page listing a 500-runner cap |
The comparison is simple. Pick Waco if trail surface and the Oct. 31 date are the point. Pick Houston, Garland or Plano if you want a road race on Halloween morning. Pick Tyler or El Paso if the weekend before Halloween fits the family schedule better.
How to use the Texas calendar without overthinking it
Start by choosing region, then distance. Dallas-Fort Worth runners can scan the DFW race calendar and the Halloween hub together. Houston runners have both the West U race and the broader Houston & Gulf Coast race calendar. Waco-area runners should keep an eye on Central Texas races, especially if Chupacabra fills up or the trail distance does not fit.
Then check the official race page before you register. Halloween races often look casual because costumes and kids events are part of the draw, but the practical details still matter: start times, packet pickup, course rules, refund policies, and whether a shirt size is still guaranteed. Chupacabra's no-dogs and no-baby-joggers rule is a good example of a small detail that can change race-day plans.
If you are still building October, use the October races in Texas page as the wider calendar view. Halloween is the early-October theme, but late October can also be a tuneup for November and December racing. Día de los Muertos runs fill the same window; see our Día de los Muertos races in Texas roundup.
