Halloween Costumes for Runners

Here at AMR we are all about putting the “fun” in “functional,” and this is especially true when it comes to Halloween costumes for runners to wear in a race (or, heck, just on your run on Friday, October 31!). A run-able costume has to be relatively comfortable and able to accommodate a range of motion and some sweat. In the right costume, you won’t feel so annoyed or weighed down that you can’t keep running.

And since we love to crowd-source suggestions, we turned to the folks our Facebook community for photos and stories of costumes they’ve worn in races and on runs. Here’s a stash of sweet suggestions!

“A few years ago my friend and I did a half marathon dressed as Donald Duck and Minnie Mouse. I ratted my hair and twisted it into ‘mouse ear buns,’ shellacked them with plenty of hair spray, and miraculously they stayed in place for the whole 13.1!” —Sara

“I try to build my costumes around running gear. It looks great and I’m able to move and perform well. These are my faves: This Star Trek uniform is easy with running shorts and sports bra underneath. The dinosaur one had a built in hat so it didn’t flop around.” —Sandy

“My best running friend and I started running ultras together. He agreed to dress up as Sulley to my Mike Wazowski [from Monsters, Inc.] for our first 100K. The costume worked since he’s about a foot taller than me. We started dating shortly before the 100K—and now we’re married.” —Martha

“My friend and I dressed as purple and pink M&Ms for a local 5K, then met some other ones at the race!” —Monica

Kathi, far right, as a blue Crayon

“When my friends and I did a marathon relay, we heard that there might be awards for best costumes, and it rang our bell. We love to be silly, and we excel at it! We all dressed as crayons.” —Kathi

“I was a sparkle unicorn at TC Pride Rainbow Run in Minneapolis. There was a wardrobe malfunction early on as the elastic in the leg failed, and my steed drooped. (No one wants a droopy steed!) We were able to MacGyver a solution and got re-inflated. For something like this, you definitely need a handler: I needed help typing my shoes and maneuvering.” —Greta

“I dressed up as Glinda to go with my daughter’s Cowardly Lion costume for a fun Halloween 5K. Ended up in the local newspaper with my friend and his kiddo. It was an OK running costume until I hit the finish and the arch over the finish line knocked my crown off!” —Katie

“Not exactly a costume, but I wore a Shohei Ohtani jersey and LA Dodgers hat at the 2025 Tokyo Marathon. I even got a pair of tall baseball socks at a Tokyo sporting goods store to round out the look. The race in Tokyo is an incredible experience, but the Japanese spectators are notoriously reserved. I decided to have a little bit of fun and got a lot of cheers and positive comments.” —Camille

“My daughter Bethany and I started running the Gray Ghost 5K together 3 years ago. The first year we were Pooh and Piglet, then we were Rachel and Phoebe from Friends (The One Where Phoebe Runs), then we were running water and a runny nose.” —Anna

“My friends and I dressed up as an aid station for a local trail race.” —Lydia

“My friends and I did the Dopey Challenge at Disney World a few years ago! Of the four days, we were 1. Peter Pan 2. Inside Out 3. Sleeping Beauty and 4. The Incredibles!!!!” —Kelyn

Photo credit: Gary Geernaert

“My friends and I were the ‘sweeps’ for a local race that ran through vineyards, apple orchards, and a cemetery; the course was in historic Burkittsville, Maryland (home of the fictional Blair Witch!). My friend Mark used a black wig as inspiration to be Samara from The Ring, while our friend Marti was a sparkly witch. I was Sam, the main character in an older Halloween movie called Trick R Treat: The massive head was steamy, and the lack of peripheral vision made for some awkward moments through the mixed terrain.” —Casii

“This is from about 12 years ago. It was way too cold for the short skirt/strapless bodice of this Wonder Woman costume, plus it was more comfortable to run a 5K in it with leggings and a red long-sleeve tech top layered underneath—no worries about chafing or wardrobe malfunctions!” —Kim

“Our running club decided on a superhero costume theme for the local pumpkin run. Immediately I thought of Captain Underpants, one of my kids’ favorite childhood book characters. I put together an outfit of pale-nude long underwear, a pair of tighty-whities, bald head, red cape, mask, and voilà, Captain Underpants! Kids along the route were thrilled when they recognized who I was—it was so much fun!” —Gay