Some races are about times and placings, others are about something more – marking a moment, turning a page or celebrating the people who show up for you.
For JT Chestnut, travelling from Los Angeles to Newcastle to run the HogmanHOWAY 5K on New Year’s Eve is very much the latter.
JT is no stranger to big moments. A marathon runner with 23 marathons to his name, a Six Star World Marathon Major finisher and a passionate advocate for community and connection, running has been part of his life since he was 14. But this trip, and this race, are particularly meaningful.
As JT puts it, this New Year is about celebrating himself, celebrating those who choose to celebrate him and stepping into the future with intention.
A journey defined by running and resilience
JT’s relationship with running began almost by accident. As a teenager growing up in North Carolina, unsure of his identity and looking for direction, he started running country roads during the summer before high school. One day, a car pulled up beside him.
It was his future cross-country coach. It took one quick conversation, and with that, training started the following week. Twenty-two years later, he’s still running.
Over the years, running has carried JT through some personal challenges. He speaks openly about finding sobriety, about rebuilding his life from the inside out, and about how running became a constant when everything else felt uncertain.
“When I was at my rock bottom,” he explains, “running was one of the few things I knew I still had. It saved my life – again.”
That long-term commitment eventually led him to the biggest races in the sport – Boston, New York, Berlin – but always at the right moment. That timing is something JT believes in strongly.
“When it wasn’t my time, it wasn’t my time,” he says. “But when I’d done the work, when I was ready, those moments meant more than I could have imagined.”
Why HogmanHOWAY?
JT first visited Newcastle last year for a friend’s wedding and immediately fell in love with the city. The warmth of the people, the friendliness of the community and the feeling of being genuinely welcomed left a lasting impression.
“Friendliness is my love language,” he says. “Kindness matters to me, and Newcastle has that in abundance.”
That sense of welcome is a big part of why HogmanHOWAY appealed – it’s a celebration of New Year, movement and togetherness.
For JT, it also fits perfectly with a personal tradition he’s built over recent years of running at the very start or very end of the year. It’s a tradition that started in 2022 with a New Year’s Day 10K in London, and has seen him take part in community runs back home in California, before now returning to the UK for the HogmanHOWAY 5K.
“Running on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day is about reflection and release,” he says. “It’s about saying: that was the past, now we move forward, together.”
More than a 5K
While HogmanHOWAY is a fast, accessible 5K, JT isn’t coming to Newcastle chasing a time. He’s coming for the atmosphere, and the people.
“What I love about the running community is how inclusive it is,” he says. “Beginners, veterans, elites – we all line up together. We all go to the same finish line.”
For JT, the magic happens after the finish as much as during the race. Staying to talk, laugh, reflect and celebrate is non-negotiable.
“I don’t grab my medal and leave,” he says. “I want to fellowship with other runners, make connections and celebrate the moment. That’s what this race is about.”
It’s fair to say that New Year’s Eve races attract a particular kind of person – people willing to swap the sofa for the start line, and fireworks for a finish funnel – and JT believes that creates a special energy.
“It’s a certain type of person who runs a 5K on New Year’s Eve,” he laughs. “It’s going to be good vibes.”
Starting the year the right way
Beyond the race itself, JT hopes this trip will leave him recharged, grounded and present – ready to return to his work in higher education, supporting young people who have experienced foster care, and continuing to show up for his community.
HogmanHoway fits neatly into that bigger picture: a moment of movement, connection and celebration at the turning of the year.
“It’s about being grateful,” JT reflects. “About celebrating life, celebrating the challenges we’ve overcome and stepping into the future with positivity.”
On New Year’s Eve in Newcastle, runners from across the UK, and far beyond, will come together to do exactly that.
And somewhere in the pack, having travelled thousands of miles to be there, JT Chestnut will be running not just into a new year, but into a new chapter – surrounded by community, kindness and the unmistakable spirit of HogmanHOWAY.
Join JT on the start line. Entries close 30th December.
Celebrate the year that was, and run into the year ahead.
