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Thanksgiving morning in New Jersey has a routine, and for a lot of families it starts before the oven does. There are roughly 50 turkey trots across the state, and Morris County alone has four running on Thanksgiving Day itself.
Most of them raise money for a fire department, a rescue squad, a food pantry or a local charity, which is a large part of why they keep growing. Here is what is running this year and how to pick one.
Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026
Almost every trot in the state runs that morning. A handful go earlier in the month, so if you would rather run the weekend before, those exist too.
Morris County turkey trots
Read Feed Run Turkey Trot, Morristown
Thursday, November 26. The county’s best known Thanksgiving morning race, and the one that draws the biggest Morristown crowd. Registration typically runs in the $12 to $38 range depending on how early you sign up, which is the usual reason to do it now rather than the week of.
The Chatham Turkey Trot, Chatham Township
Thursday, November 26, and this is the 18th running. Two options: a 1 mile family fun run and a USATF certified 5K through the Highlands section of Chatham Township. It benefits the Chatham Township Volunteer Fire Department, the Chatham Emergency Squad, Tunnel to Towers, the Barton Center for Diabetes Education and the Diabetes Research Institute, and it has raised over $365,000 since 2009.
The certified course is worth knowing about if you actually care about your time. A lot of trots are not measured.
Mountain Lakes Turkey Trot
Thursday, November 26, run by the Lakeland Hills Family YMCA. A long running local morning with a strong family turnout.
Five-Alarm Turkey Trot, Pequannock
Thursday, November 26. The name tells you where the money goes, and it is one of the friendlier fields in the county if it is your first one.
If you want to run before the holiday
Not every trot waits for Thanksgiving. The Rochelle Park Turkey Trot runs Saturday, November 7, which is a good option if you are traveling for the holiday itself or you would rather not race on a day you are also cooking.
How to pick one, and how to actually enjoy it
- Register early. Prices step up as the date gets closer on almost every one of these, and the popular ones cap.
- Check whether there is a fun run. If you are bringing small kids, the 1 mile option is the difference between a nice morning and a hard one.
- Look at what it funds. Most of these are fire departments, rescue squads and local charities, and the smaller the race the more your entry actually matters.
- Get there early. Thanksgiving morning parking at these is the single most underestimated part of the day.
- Dress for the start, not the finish. It is usually cold at the line and warm by the second mile.
More to do around the holidays
Once the race is done, the rest of the season is ahead of you. See our guides to Christmas lights in NJ, Christmas markets in NJ, the Polar Express train ride in NJ and New Year’s Eve in NJ.
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