Christmas Tree Lighting and Winter Lights 5K Foot Race, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

A beautiful early December evening welcomed a great turnout in Plymouth's Town Square for the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony.



Moments after the tree lighting, the first wave of runners were released from the start line for the Winter Lights 5K footrace in downtown.



Race officials prepare the finish line for the imminent finishers.



I didn't get an official number of competitors but, there were hundreds and hundreds of runners who participated in the race. (In 2016 there were almost 1600 participants).



For you photographers, this was an attempt at a pan blur image - a technique where one pans the camera in sync with a moving object so as to have the object sharp and the background slightly blurred.



All runners are required to have a headlamp or carry a flashlight. I like this image where the runner's lights merge into the scene with the traffic stop lights, street lights, and storefront lights.



Downtown restaurant "Sam Diego's" provided complimentary hot chocolate to any and all who desired it.



Another view of the downtown area as folks mill about waiting for the multiple events of the evening.