The Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot starts and finishes at Dallas City Hall Plaza in the heart of downtown Dallas. The 8-mile route takes runners through some of Dallas’ most iconic neighborhoods, winding past historic landmarks, vibrant street murals, and the towers of the Dallas skyline. The 5K offers a shorter, equally festive loop for families, first-timers, and costume enthusiasts. Both routes are closed to traffic, creating an energetic, car-free running experience on Thanksgiving morning.<\/p>\n
The 59th Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot presented by Texas Health takes place Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 26, 2026. The timed 8-Mile and 5K start at 8:30 AM; untimed waves begin at 9:00 AM. Race-day registration is available at the event from 7:00 to 8:15 a.m. Online registration typically closes Wednesday evening at 6:00 PM. Both routes offer timed and untimed (walk\/jog) options, making the event fully inclusive for all fitness levels.<\/p>\n
The Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot has been a Thanksgiving morning fixture since its founding, growing from a small neighborhood run into one of the nation’s premier holiday races. The YMCA uses the event to raise funds supporting community programs across the Dallas Metroplex. Thousands of participants arrive in full turkey, pilgrim, and Native American costumes, making the start line one of the most entertaining and photogenic in Texas. Local families treat the Turkey Trot as an annual tradition \u2014 many households have streak-runners who haven’t missed a year in decades.<\/p>\n
The Turkey Trot delivers a one-of-a-kind holiday morning experience that perfectly balances competitive racing (both courses are chip-timed for the serious runners) and festive celebration. Running the 8 miles before Thanksgiving dinner is a beloved tradition and guilt-free way to earn your feast. Dallas in late November offers ideal running weather \u2014 cool mornings, light wind \u2014 and the downtown location puts participants in the middle of the city’s holiday decorations and festive atmosphere.<\/p>\n
Register at ymcadallas.org\/turkeytrot<\/a> or through RaceRoster<\/a>. Online registration closes Wednesday November 25 at 6:00 PM; race-day registration is available at City Hall Plaza 7:00\u20138:15 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04:21:49","date_utc":"2026-06-01 04:21:49","modified":"2026-06-01 04:21:49","modified_utc":"2026-06-01 04:21:49","url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/?tribe_venue=dallas-ymca-turkey-trot-dallas-city-hall-plaza","venue":"Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot | Dallas City Hall Plaza","slug":"dallas-ymca-turkey-trot-dallas-city-hall-plaza","address":"Dallas City Hall Plaza, Marilla St & S Akard St, Dallas, TX 75201","city":"Dallas","country":"United States","province":"Texas","state":"TX","stateprovince":"Texas","show_map":true,"show_map_link":true,"global_id":"whatracetorun.com?id=39021","global_id_lineage":["whatracetorun.com?id=39021"]},"organizer":[],"custom_fields":[],"event_bgcolor":"","event_text_color":"","ticketed":false},{"id":39054,"global_id":"whatracetorun.com?id=39054","global_id_lineage":["whatracetorun.com?id=39054"],"author":"2","status":"publish","date":"2026-06-01 04:24:56","date_utc":"2026-06-01 04:24:56","modified":"2026-06-01 04:25:03","modified_utc":"2026-06-01 04:25:03","url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/?tribe_events=bmw-dallas-marathon-10k-5k-saturday","rest_url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/tribe\/events\/v1\/events\/39054","title":"BMW Dallas Marathon \u2014 10K & 5K Saturday","description":" The Saturday BMW Dallas Marathon 10K and 5K both start and finish at Dallas City Hall Plaza, taking runners through the heart of downtown Dallas with views of the distinctive Dallas skyline. The Saturday courses are designed to showcase the energy of downtown Dallas while offering a distance accessible to runners of all levels. The Friday Night Lights 1-Mile Race at 7:00 PM Friday, December 11 adds a unique under-the-lights experience to the festival, with floodlights, cheering spectators, and the electric buzz of pre-marathon weekend excitement.<\/p>\n Saturday, December 12, 2026: 10K starts at 8:00 AM, 5K at 8:10 AM, 5K Walk at 8:15 AM. Kids 100-Meter Dash at 10:15 AM. Oncor Kids 1 & 2 Mile Run\/Walk at 11:00 AM. Friday evening, December 11: Friday Night Lights 1-Mile Race at 7:00 PM. All events start and finish at Dallas City Hall Plaza. Packet pickup at Kay Bailey Hutchison Dallas Convention Center, Hall B: Friday 11 AM\u20136 PM, Saturday 9 AM\u20136 PM. The BMW Weekend Series bonus medal is available for runners who complete events on both Saturday and Sunday.<\/p>\n The Friday Night Lights 1-Mile Race is one of the most unique race experiences in Texas \u2014 a flat-out sprint down a closed Dallas street under stadium-style lighting, surrounded by cheering crowds who’ve gathered for the pre-marathon festivities. It’s ideal for runners who want to experience the race weekend energy without committing to a longer distance, or for families who want to include younger runners in the celebration. The 1-Mile course is fast and accessible, and the atmosphere rivals any finish-line celebration in the state.<\/p>\n The Saturday BMW Dallas Marathon races offer the best of the marathon festival atmosphere without the full marathon or half marathon commitment. The 10K in particular draws a competitive field of local Dallas runners for whom this is a meaningful annual goal race. December in Dallas is peak racing weather \u2014 40s\u201350s at start time \u2014 and the downtown course is flat and fast. Participating in the Saturday races also earns the BMW Weekend Series bonus medal when combined with a Sunday race entry.<\/p>\n Register at dallasmarathon.com<\/a> or via RaceRoster<\/a>. Select individual events or bundle Saturday + Sunday for the Weekend Series bonus medal.<\/p>","excerpt":"","slug":"bmw-dallas-marathon-10k-5k-saturday","image":{"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bmw-dallas-marathon-10k-5k-saturday.png","id":39052,"extension":"png","width":1536,"height":1024,"filesize":2979413,"sizes":{"medium":{"width":300,"height":200,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":101134,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bmw-dallas-marathon-10k-5k-saturday-300x200.png"},"large":{"width":1024,"height":683,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":1077597,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bmw-dallas-marathon-10k-5k-saturday-1024x683.png"},"thumbnail":{"width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":40581,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bmw-dallas-marathon-10k-5k-saturday-150x150.png"},"medium_large":{"width":768,"height":512,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":604024,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bmw-dallas-marathon-10k-5k-saturday-768x512.png"},"endurer_mikado_square":{"width":550,"height":550,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":477606,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bmw-dallas-marathon-10k-5k-saturday-550x550.png"},"endurer_mikado_landscape":{"width":1100,"height":550,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":980004,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bmw-dallas-marathon-10k-5k-saturday-1100x550.png"},"endurer_mikado_portrait":{"width":550,"height":1024,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":994922,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bmw-dallas-marathon-10k-5k-saturday-550x1024.png"},"endurer_mikado_huge":{"width":1100,"height":1024,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":1970458,"url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bmw-dallas-marathon-10k-5k-saturday-1100x1024.png"}}},"all_day":false,"start_date":"2026-12-12 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04:24:50","date_utc":"2026-06-01 04:24:50","modified":"2026-06-01 04:24:50","modified_utc":"2026-06-01 04:24:50","url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/?tribe_venue=bmw-dallas-marathon-saturday-races-dallas-city-hall-plaza","venue":"BMW Dallas Marathon Saturday Races | Dallas City Hall Plaza","slug":"bmw-dallas-marathon-saturday-races-dallas-city-hall-plaza","address":"Dallas City Hall Plaza, Marilla St & S Akard St, Dallas, TX 75201","city":"Dallas","country":"United States","province":"Texas","state":"TX","stateprovince":"Texas","show_map":true,"show_map_link":true,"global_id":"whatracetorun.com?id=39053","global_id_lineage":["whatracetorun.com?id=39053"]},"organizer":[],"custom_fields":[],"event_bgcolor":"","event_text_color":"","ticketed":false},{"id":39018,"global_id":"whatracetorun.com?id=39018","global_id_lineage":["whatracetorun.com?id=39018"],"author":"2","status":"publish","date":"2026-06-14 14:15:38","date_utc":"2026-06-14 14:15:38","modified":"2026-06-14 14:15:45","modified_utc":"2026-06-14 14:15:45","url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/?tribe_events=skechers-hot-chocolate-15k-dallas","rest_url":"https:\/\/whatracetorun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/tribe\/events\/v1\/events\/39018","title":"SKECHERS Hot Chocolate 15K Dallas","description":" The SKECHERS Hot Chocolate Run Dallas starts and finishes at historic Fair Park \u2014 home of the Cotton Bowl Stadium \u2014 in the heart of Dallas. The 15K course weaves through South Dallas’ Fair Park and Old East Dallas neighborhoods, passing scenic stretches of the Santa Fe Trail and the Lower Greenville corridor. The 10K and 5K routes offer equally engaging urban scenery in a neighborhood packed with public art and architectural character. All three distances return to Fair Park for the famous post-race Chocolate Fondue Party.<\/p>\n The 2026 Dallas Hot Chocolate Run is Saturday, February 7. The 5K starts at 7:30 a.m., while the 10K and 15K start together at 8:30 a.m. Packet pickup is held Thursday, February 5 (3\u20137 PM) and Friday, February 6 (11 AM\u20136 PM) at the Automobile Building at Fair Park. Gear check opens 60 minutes before each start time. Every finisher receives the iconic Hot Chocolate Finisher’s Mug filled with rich fondue and sweet surprises, plus a commemorative finisher’s medal.<\/p>\n What sets the Hot Chocolate Run apart is the unapologetically delicious finish line experience. The exclusive Finisher’s Mug \u2014 a signature insulated vessel \u2014 is filled with hot chocolate fondue and paired with dippable treats ranging from marshmallows and rice crispy treats to pretzels and bananas. The VIP Cocoa Club upgrade adds exclusive access to a premium post-race lounge with additional chocolate indulgences and special perks. It’s a race that rewards every finisher with something genuinely worth celebrating.<\/p>\n The Hot Chocolate Run series has built a cult following across America for making every finish line feel like a party. The Dallas edition’s Fair Park location adds extra visual interest \u2014 the Art Deco architecture and wide esplanades of this National Historic Landmark create a stunning race environment. February in Dallas offers reliably cool racing weather, and the SKECHERS partnership adds quality branded apparel to the race package. Whether you’re chasing a PR or just here for the fondue, this is a race that brings pure joy.<\/p>\nCourse Highlights<\/h3>\n
Race Details<\/h3>\n
The Friday Night Lights Experience<\/h3>\n
Why Runners Love It<\/h3>\n
Register<\/h3>\n
Course Highlights<\/h3>\n
Race Details<\/h3>\n
The Chocolate Experience<\/h3>\n
Why Runners Love It<\/h3>\n
Register<\/h3>\n