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 AM.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Course Highlights 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. Race Details The 59th […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":39020,"template":"","meta":{"_srfm_raw_cpt_meta":"","_srfm_pdf_meta":"","_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"_tribe_events_status":"","_tribe_events_status_reason":"","footnotes":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":""},"tags":[242,306,307,310],"tribe_events_cat":[72],"class_list":["post-39022","tribe_events","type-tribe_events","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-242","tag-306","tag-307","tag-310","tribe_events_cat-fun-races","cat_fun-races"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t