The Top Turkey Trot in Every State [2024]

For some families, the celebrations don’t start with the first cut of the Thanksgiving turkey. Instead, many Americans gather their loved ones and sign up for a Turkey Trot — a brisk run typically held on Thanksgiving morning.

While these runs have been an integral and long-standing part of Thanksgiving traditions for some families, others are looking to try them out for the first time this November. To help out those in the second camp, FinanceBuzz compared some of the biggest and most popular Turkey Trots across the country to find the top Trot in all 50 states.

Key findings

• The largest Turkey Trot in the country is in Sacramento, California, with over 31,000 participants signing up for the 5K or 10K run last year.
• Only three states offer half marathon options - Georgia, Nevada, and Utah.
• Any novice runners living in Colorado or New Hampshire are in luck, as these two states’ largest Turkey Trots offer the shortest distances needed to complete.

Turkey Trots are a big deal, and if recent history is any indication, they look to be getting even bigger.

After looking up existing Turkey Trots in all 50 states as well as Washington, D.C., we found that 21 different states hosted at least one 5,000+ member Turkey Trots last year. That means that more than 40% of the states in the country have at least one major trot available for people visiting or hosting in that state for Thanksgiving.

That number may rise in the future, as a Turkey Trot analysis produced by RunSignup found that the number of races as well as the number of race participants rose between 2022 and 2023. Last year there were 833 trots across the country, which was a 14% increase compared to 2022 (730 Turkey Trots).

Even larger was the increase in the total number of runners participating in these Turkey Day races, as 2023 saw 920,761 people trotting along before their meal, a number that is 22% higher than the 756,894 people that participated in Turkey Trots in 2022.

With hundreds of Turkey Trots scheduled for Thanksgiving day, there’s sure to be a race of the preferred size available to most runners. For those who love the energy that comes from running with a crowd, we found which states are home to some of the largest trots in the nation.

The biggest Turkey Trot in the country is in Sacramento, California, where the Run to Feed the Hungry hosted more than 30,000 trotters last year. Both Michigan and Texas have trots with more than 20,000 participants, while Indiana’s Wheeler Mission Drumstick Dash has 15,000 runners and the Buffalo YMCA Turkey Trot in Buffalo, New York has more than 14,000.

Interested in getting your trot on before the big meal this Thanksgiving? No matter where you live, there’s probably a local Turkey Trot scheduled nearby. For those looking for a true top-notch trot experience, we’ve found the top Turkey Trot in every state in the country.

Crisis Services of North Alabama Turkey Trot

• City: Huntsville
• Length(s) offered: 5K, Tiny Trot (Ages 5 and under)
• Participants: 2,000+

Skinny Raven Turkey Trot

• City: Anchorage
• Length(s) offered: 5K, 3K
• Participants: 2,000+

Phoenix Turkey Trot

• City: Phoenix
• Length(s) offered: 10K, 5K, 1 Mile
• Participants: 3,500+

The Gobbler - Little Rock's Turkey Trot

• City: Little Rock
• Length(s) offered: 3 Mile, 4 Mile, 6.5 Mile
• Participants: 1,000+

Run to Feed the Hungry

• City: Sacramento
• Length(s) offered: 5K, 10K
• Participants: 31,000+

Mile High United Way Turkey Trot

• City: Denver
• Length(s) offered: 1 Mile, 4 Mile
• Participants: 11,000+

Manchester Road Race

• City: Manchester
• Length(s) offered: 4.737 Miles
• Participants: 11,000+

Run for Pie 5K

• City: Newark
• Length(s) offered: 5K
• Participants: 500+

America's Trot for Hunger

• City: Washington, D.C.
• Length(s) offered: 5K, 1 Mile
• Participants: 10,000+

Clearwater Turkey Trot

• City: Clearwater
• Length(s) offered: 5K, 1 Mile
• Participants: 7,000+

The Atlanta Half Marathon & Thanksgiving Day 5K

• City: Atlanta
• Length(s) offered: Half Marathon, 5K, 1 Mile, Kid’s Dash
• Participants: 12,000+

Honolulu Marathon Clinic Turkey Trot

• City: Honolulu
• Length(s) offered: 5K, Fun Run
• Participants: 600+

Turkey Day 5K

• City: Boise and Caldwell
• Length(s) offered: 5K
• Participants: 2,000+

Dan Gibbons Turkey Trot

• City: Elmhurst
• Length(s) offered: 5K
• Participants: 8,000+

Wheeler Mission Drumstick Dash

• City: Broad Ripple
• Length(s) offered: 4.3 Mile, 2.6 Mile
• Participants: 15,000+

Des Moines Turkey Trot

• City: Des Moines
• Length(s) offered: 5K, 5 Mile, Tot Trot
• Participants: 4,000+

MHK Turkey Trot

• City: Manhattan
• Length(s) offered: 5K
• Participants: 1,000+

Louisville Hungry Turkey 5K

• City: Louisville
• Length(s) offered: 5K, Kid’s Dash
• Participants: 2,000+

New Orleans Athletic Club Turkey Day Race

• City: New Orleans
• Length(s) offered: 5K, ½ Mile Kid’s Run
• Participants: 2,500+

Maine Track Club Turkey Trot 5K

• City: Cape Elizabeth
• Length(s) offered: 5K, Kid’s Fun Run
• Participants: 400+

Sheppard Pratt Frederick Turkey Trot

• City: Frederick
• Length(s) offered: 5K, 1K
• Participants: 5,000+

Feaster Five Thanksgiving Day Road Race

• City: Andover
• Length(s) offered: 5 Mile, 5K, Kid’s Fun Run
• Participants: 10,000+

Detroit Turkey Trot

• City: Detroit
• Length(s) offered: 10K, 5K, 1 Mile
• Participants: 20,000+

Turkey Day 5K

• City: Minneapolis
• Length(s) offered: 5K
• Participants: 5,000+

Bay St. Louis Turkey Trot

• City: Bay Saint Louis
• Length(s) offered: 5K, 1 Mile Fun Run
• Participants: 200+

Annual Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk Presented by Hall Ansley

• City: Springfield
• Length(s) offered: 5K
• Participants: 5,000+

Turkey Day 8K & 3K Family Fun Run

• City: Missoula
• Length(s) offered: 8K, 3K, 1K
• Participants: 800+

Omaha Turkey Trot 5K

• City: Omaha
• Length(s) offered: 5K, Kid’s Dash
• Participants: 2,000+

Las Vegas Turkey Trot

• City: Boulder City
• Length(s) offered: Half Marathon, 12K, 5K, 1 Mile
• Participants: 1,000+

Windham Turkey Trot

• City: Windham
• Length(s) offered: 5 Mile, 3 Mile, 1 Mile
• Participants: 1,000+

CEA & Johanna Foods Turkey Trot

• City: Flemington
• Length(s) offered: 5K, 2 Mile
• Participants: 3,500+

Albuquerque Turkey Trot

• City: Albuquerque
• Length(s) offered: 5K, 1 Mile, Tot Trot
• Participants: 700+

Buffalo YMCA Turkey Trot

• City: Buffalo
• Length(s) offered: 8K
• Participants: 14,000+

Charlotte Turkey Trot

• City: Charlotte
• Length(s) offered: 8K, 5K, 1 Mile, Tot Trot
• Participants: 10,000+

Magic City Turkey Trot

• City: Minot
• Length(s) offered: 5K, 1 Mile
• Participants: 500+

Cleveland Turkey Trot

• City: Cleveland
• Length(s) offered: 5 Mile, 5K, 1K
• Participants: 8,000+

Edmond Turkey Trot

• City: Edmond
• Length(s) offered: 5K, 1 Mile
• Participants: 2,000+

Turkey Trot at the Zoo

• City: Portland
• Length(s) offered: 5K, Tot Trot and Gobble Gallop
• Participants: 2,500 (hard cap)

Millersville Turkey Trot

• City: Millersville
• Length(s) offered: 5K, Kid’s Fun Run
• Participants: 2,000+

Rhode Island Family Turkey Trot

• City: Pawtucket
• Length(s) offered: 5K, Youth Run
• Participants: 1,500+

Turkey Day Run and Gobble Wobble

• City: Charleston
• Length(s) offered: 5K, Kid’s Fun Run
• Participants: 8,500+

Black Hills Runners Club Turkey Trot

• City: Rapid City
• Length(s) offered: 5K
• Participants: 1,000+

Boulevard Bolt

• City: Nashville
• Length(s) offered: 5 Miles
• Participants: 7,500+

Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot

• City: Dallas
• Length(s) offered: 5 Miles, 5K, Diaper Dash
• Participants: 20,000+

Runtastic Thankful 13

• City: Lehi
• Length(s) offered: Half marathon, 10K, 5K, Kid’s half mile
• Participants: 3,500+

Green Mountain Atheltic Association Turkey Trot

• City: Burlington
• Length(s) offered: 5K, Kid’s Run
• Participants: 900+

Alexandria Turkey Trot

• City: Alexandria
• Length(s) offered: 5 Miles
• Participants: 5,000+

Seattle Turkey Trot

• City: Seattle
• Length(s) offered: 15K, 10K, 5K, Kid’s Dash
• Participants: 1,500+

Huntington Turkey Trot

• City: Huntington
• Length(s) offered: 5K
• Participants: 1,000+

Festival Foods Turkey Trot

• City: Multiple (12 cities)
• Length(s) offered: 5 Miles, 2 Miles
• Participants: 6,000+

Jackson Hole Turkey Trot

• City: Jackson Hole
• Length(s) offered: 5K
• Participants: 300+

Can exercising before Thanksgiving dinner (i.e. entering your local turkey trot) help combat some of the less desirable side effects of eating a larger than average meal all at once?

Desiree Wanders, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Nutrition | Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing & Health Professions, Georgia State University

Exercising is always a smart choice, and fitting in a workout before Thanksgiving dinner could help make that large meal more manageable. For some people, exercise can reduce appetite, meaning a pre-meal run might lead to eating less at the Thanksgiving table. Additionally, high-intensity cardio can boost your metabolism, causing your body to burn more calories even after the workout ends. So, raising your heart rate before the holiday feast could help your body burn more of the calories consumed.

Douglas D. Young

McLeod Tyler Distinguished Professor | Health Professions Advisor, William & Mary University

This could in fact be true but might be situationally dependent. Just like a car, the body runs on fuel. When we exercise, we need more energy and fuel. The more we exercise, the more of those fuel sources we need. During exercise, we sometimes go into a “fasting” state where our energy use is more than our energy production. We then need to replenish all our fuel sources (fats, carbs, and proteins) and some of the reserves stored away in other parts of the body. Depending on how much you exercise and how much you consume at Thanksgiving you may be able to offset some of the caloric intake by initially inducing a fasting state.

Fact or fiction? The tryptophan in turkey makes you tired after Thanksgiving dinner.

Desiree Wanders, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Nutrition | Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing & Health Professions, Georgia State University

Fiction. This is an example of a tidbit of actual scientific evidence being distorted. Tryptophan is used in the synthesis of serotonin and melatonin, whose actions in the brain cause drowsiness. However, eating turkey doesn't increase serotonin action in the brain, nor does it increase melatonin production. Any sleepiness after eating Thanksgiving dinner is more likely due to participating in all the holiday festivities, cooking, and family activities.

Douglas D. Young

McLeod Tyler Distinguished Professor | Health Professions Advisor, William & Mary University

This is one of the great urban legends associated with Thanksgiving and is indeed mostly fiction. A lot of this myth is built on the fact that tryptophan is a unit of proteins that on its own can be converted to molecules associated with sleep like dopamine, serotonin, and melatonin. While this does happen, many foods (like soy beans and cod) are much richer in tryptophan than turkey and often don’t elicit this fatigue. The real source of the post-Thanksgiving food coma is actually the consumption of larger than normal quantities of carbohydrates. All the starches (breads, potatoes, etc) and sugars (cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, etc) associated with the Thanksgiving meal cause a huge spike in blood sugar levels, which later drops and results in the tiredness you experience.

Every Turkey Trotter needs food and family to fuel their runs. If you’re already spending money on a race entry fee, there are other ways to save this holiday season.

• Earn rewards while shopping for dinner. To get the most out of your shopping trip, use one of the best credit cards for buying groceries to get rewards on your purchases.
• Budget groceries beforehand. Groceries are a big expense for families of all sizes. Learning insider tips on how to spend less on groceries can help reduce the overall cost for your delicious home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner.
• Use travel credit cards when visiting family. Many people will be traveling to visit family this Thanksgiving. Travelers can fund their trip entirely with rewards points from the best travel credit cards or save them up for future plans.

FinanceBuzz conducted web searches for upcoming Turkey Trots in every state. Top results were compared to one another with different factors used to determine a “top” trot in each state, with the number of confirmed participants in 2023 being a primary determinant. Race participation data was sourced from news articles and official race results pages.