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Quick answer: Morris County has six turkey trots on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 26, 2026: the Read Feed Run in Morris Township (5K at 8:30 a.m., $35), the Chatham Turkey Trot (USATF certified 5K), Trot the Manor in Chatham Borough (5K at 9:00 a.m., $25), the West Morris Central Memorial Turkey Trot in Chester (8:00 a.m., $30), the Mountain Lakes Turkey Trot (9:00 a.m., $35 through November 18) and the Five-Alarm Turkey Trot in Pequannock (9:00 a.m., $35). The Rock Ridge Turkey Trot in Denville runs the Sunday before, November 22. Most raise money for fire departments, food pantries and local charities, and prices go up the week before, so register early.
Updated November 6, 2026. Details checked against each race’s own registration page.
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 six running on Thanksgiving Day itself, plus one the Sunday before. Thanksgiving 2026 is Thursday, November 26.
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.
2026 Morris County turkey trots at a glance
| Race | Town | Start | Price | Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read Feed Run Turkey Trot | Morris Township (Ginty Field) | 5K 8:30 a.m. | $35 5K, $30 1 mile, $10 kids | Literacy Volunteers of Morris County, Interfaith Food Pantry Network |
| The Chatham Turkey Trot | Chatham Township | Thanksgiving morning | See race site | Chatham Township fire and emergency squad, Tunnel to Towers, diabetes charities |
| Trot the Manor | Chatham Borough (Rowan Rd and Jackson Ave) | 1 mile 8:30 a.m., 5K 9:00 a.m. | $25 5K, $20 1 mile, $30 race day | Chatham Borough first responders |
| West Morris Central Memorial Turkey Trot | Chester (West Morris Central High School) | 5K and fun run 8:00 a.m. | $30 | WMC memorial scholarships, Project Graduation |
| Rock Ridge Turkey Trot (Sun. Nov. 22) | Denville (Rock Ridge clubhouse) | 5K 9:00 a.m. | $30, free kids fun run | Food drive |
| Mountain Lakes Turkey Trot | Mountain Lakes (Wildwood School) | 9:00 a.m. | $35 through Nov. 18, then $40 | Lakeland Hills Family YMCA |
| Five-Alarm Turkey Trot | Pequannock (Greenview Park) | 9:00 a.m. | $35, $20 ages 1 to 13 | Pequannock Fire Department Engine Co. 1 |
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 is $35 for the 5K, $30 for the 1 mile fun run and walk and $10 for the Kids’ Trot (12 and under), and the 5K and 1 mile prices go up after November 22, so sign up before the holiday week. Packet pickup and day-of registration open at 7:00 a.m. Register on the Read Feed Run RunSignup page.
For 2026 everything starts at the Ginty Field Complex on Woodland Avenue in Morris Township: the 5K at 8:30 a.m., the 1 mile fun run and walk at 8:45 a.m. and the Kids’ Trot at 9:15 a.m. Proceeds go to Literacy Volunteers of Morris County and the Interfaith Food Pantry Network. Full details are in our Read Feed Run Turkey Trot 2026 guide.
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.
Registration for the November 26, 2026 race is open on the Chatham Turkey Trot site. Register before November 1 (midnight on October 31) if you want a T-shirt.
Trot the Manor, Chatham Borough
Thursday, November 26, 2026, and this is the 15th annual running. Trot the Manor has a 1 mile fun run at 8:30 a.m. and a USATF certified 5K at 9:00 a.m., two laps around Chatham Borough, starting at the corner of Rowan Road and Jackson Avenue. Onsite registration and breakfast open at 7:30 a.m. and awards are at 9:45 a.m. Pre registration is $25 for the 5K and $20 for the 1 mile, and race day registration is $30 for all races with no cash accepted. It supports Chatham Borough’s first responders. Register on the Trot the Manor sign up page, and see our Trot the Manor 2026 guide for parking, shirts and awards.
West Morris Central Memorial Turkey Trot, Chester
Thursday, November 26, 2026, a Thanksgiving tradition in Washington Township. The 5K and the fun run both start at 8:00 a.m. at West Morris Central High School, 259 Bartley Road, Chester, with registration opening at 7:00 a.m. Both are $30 and you can sign up right through Thanksgiving Day. The race honors the memory of Kyleigh D’Alessio, Tanner Birch, Stephen Berstler and Paul Heembrock, and proceeds fund memorial scholarships in their names, Project Graduation and Community Night Out. Awards go to the top three male and female finishers in the 11 and under and 12 and over groups. Register on the West Morris Central Memorial Turkey Trot RunSignup page.
Mountain Lakes Turkey Trot
Thursday, November 26, 2026 at 9:00 a.m., rain or shine, run by the Lakeland Hills Family YMCA. It is a USATF certified 5K that starts at Wildwood Elementary School, 51 Glen Road, Mountain Lakes, with check in from 7:30 a.m. Registration is $35 through November 18 and $40 from November 19, kids 2 and under are free, and you need to sign up by November 9 to be guaranteed a race shirt. Packet pickup is November 24 and 25 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the YMCA, 100 Fanny Road. No dogs or bikes on the course. Details are on the Lakeland Hills YMCA Turkey Trot page, and our Mountain Lakes Turkey Trot 2026 guide has the course, parking and amenities.
Five-Alarm Turkey Trot, Pequannock
Thursday, November 26, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. on a flat 5K course that starts at Greenview Park, 9 Robert Place, Pequannock. The name tells you where the money goes: it benefits Pequannock Fire Department Engine Co. 1. Registration is $35 for the 5K and $20 for ages 1 to 13, and the price goes up after November 11, so this is the one to lock in first. It is one of the friendlier fields in the county if it is your first one. Register on the Five-Alarm Turkey Trot RunSignup page.
If you want to run before the holiday
Not every trot waits for Thanksgiving. If you are traveling for the holiday or would rather not race on a day you are also cooking, Morris County has one the weekend before.
Rock Ridge Turkey Trot and Food Drive, Denville
Sunday, November 22, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. This is the seventh year for the Rock Ridge community’s 5K, which loops the roads around the lake starting in front of the Rock Ridge clubhouse at 53 Entrance Way, Denville. Registration is $30, there is a free kids fun run after the 5K at about 10:00 a.m., and it doubles as a food drive. Roads stay open during the race, so run with care. Register on the Rock Ridge Turkey Trot RunSignup page.
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.
Planning the rest of the day? Our Thanksgiving in Morris County guide covers where to eat Thanksgiving dinner, where to order pies and turkeys, and how to give back.
Turkey Trots in NJ FAQ
When are the turkey trots in NJ in 2026?
Most New Jersey turkey trots run on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 26, 2026. In Morris County, the Rock Ridge Turkey Trot in Denville runs earlier, on Sunday, November 22.
Is there a turkey trot in Morristown?
Yes. The Read Feed Run Turkey Trot runs Thanksgiving morning at the Ginty Field Complex in Morris Township, with a 5K at 8:30 a.m., a 1 mile fun run at 8:45 a.m. and a Kids’ Trot at 9:15 a.m. See our Read Feed Run guide.
Which Morris County turkey trots have a certified course?
The Chatham Turkey Trot and the Mountain Lakes Turkey Trot both run USATF certified 5K courses, so your time counts if you care about it.
Are there turkey trots for kids near Morris County?
Yes. The Read Feed Run has a Kids’ Trot for ages 12 and under, and Chatham runs a 1 mile family fun run alongside its 5K.
How much does a turkey trot cost in Morris County?
Most Morris County 5K turkey trots cost $35 in 2026. The Read Feed Run is $35 for the 5K, $30 for the 1 mile and $10 for kids, Mountain Lakes is $35 through November 18 and $40 after, and the Five-Alarm Turkey Trot in Pequannock is $35, or $20 for ages 1 to 13.
Is there a turkey trot in Chester or Long Valley?
Yes. The West Morris Central Memorial Turkey Trot starts at 8:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving, November 26, 2026, at West Morris Central High School in Chester, with a 5K and a fun run for $30.
Is there a turkey trot in Denville?
Yes. The Rock Ridge Turkey Trot and Food Drive runs Sunday, November 22, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. from the Rock Ridge clubhouse in Denville, with a free kids fun run after the 5K.
Is there a turkey trot in Pequannock?
Yes. The Five-Alarm Turkey Trot starts at 9:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving, November 26, 2026, at Greenview Park, 9 Robert Place, and benefits Pequannock Fire Department Engine Co. 1.
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