For the early 20th-century dance step, see turkey trot (dance).

A Turkey Trot is a fun run

Fun run

A fun run is a friendly race that involves either road running or cross country running with participants taking part for their own enjoyment rather than competition. A fun run will usually be held to raise funds for a charity, with sponsors providing the revenue to cover organisational costs...

 or footrace, usually of the long-distance

Road running

Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...

 variety, that is held on or around Thanksgiving Day in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Americans anticipate indulgent Thanksgiving feasts and run in turkey trots to burn off calories before the big meal.

In many parts of the United States, Turkey Trots are as associated with Thanksgiving tradition as the meal itself. Many courses used for these Thanksgiving events are run at major certified USA Track and Field

USA Track and Field

USA Track & Field is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking...

 road race distances between 5,000

5000 metres

The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...

 and 42,195

Marathon

The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...

 meters. Some organizations hold their Turkey Trots the week prior to Thanksgiving in order to provide festive holiday meals to homeless and low-income families in their community. Turkey Trots range in size from just a few dozen runners to tens of thousands. Most Turkey Trots benefit local charities.

Notable races

Notable Thanksgiving Day Races include:

• the Buffalo Turkey Trot
  Buffalo Turkey Trot
  The Buffalo Turkey Trot is an annual Thanksgiving footrace held in Buffalo, New York each Thanksgiving Day. The Buffalo Turkey Trot, a popular fundraiser for the local branch of the YMCA, runs five miles down Delaware Avenue in Buffalo....
  
  , the oldest continually running public footrace in the United States;
• the Dallas Turkey Trot
  Dallas Turkey Trot
  The Capital One Bank Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot is an annual footrace over an course through the city of Dallas, Texas . There is also a Fun run; however, official results for the fun run are not recorded...
  
  , the largest turkey trot in the United States, with more than 25,000 racers annually;
• the Manchester Road Race
  Manchester Road Race
  The Manchester Road Race is a 4.748 mile race held annually on Thanksgiving Day in Manchester, Connecticut. Race proceeds are donated each year to Muscular Dystrophy research and about 18 other local charities. Beginning promptly at 10:00am every Thanksgiving Morning, the race attracts athletes of...
  
   held in Manchester, Connecticut
  Manchester, Connecticut
  Manchester is a township and city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 58,241.- History :...
  
  ;
• the Atlanta Marathon
  Atlanta Marathon
  The Atlanta Marathon is an annual marathon held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.The first running was in 1963 at the North Fulton Golf Course, making it the oldest in the Southeast. The following year, the Atlanta Track Club was formed, and has run the event every year since. In 1966, Tim Singleton...
  
   in Atlanta, Georgia
  Atlanta, Georgia
  Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
  
  ;
• the Feaster Five Road Race
  Feaster Five Road Race
  The Feaster Five Thanksgiving Day Road Race, or more commonly called the Feaster Five, is a 5 mile road race held annually in Andover, Massachusetts on the fourth Thursday in November, Thanksgiving Day. The Feaster Five Road Race is one of the Bay State's largest five mile races...
  
   in Andover, Massachusetts
  Andover, Massachusetts
  Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
  
  ;
• and the Berwick Run for the Diamonds
  Berwick Run for the Diamonds
  Berwick Run for The Diamonds is a nine-mile race starting and ending on Market Street in downtown Berwick, Pennsylvania. It is held every year on Thanksgiving Day and has been since 1908....
  
  , a nine mile race first run in 1908 in Berwick, Pennsylvania
  Berwick, Pennsylvania
  Berwick is a borough in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, 22.6 miles southwest of Wilkes Barre. Berwick is one of two principal cities of the Bloomsburg–Berwick Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers Columbia and Montour counties and had a combined population of 82,387...
  
  .

Cuero, Texas

Cuero, Texas

Cuero is a city in DeWitt County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,571 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of DeWitt County. It is also unofficially known as the "turkey capital of the world"...

 features a unique twist on the tradition in which the participants are all actual domestic turkeys.