On Thanksgiving, it’s tradition for many runners to participate in a turkey trot. RunSignUp expected about 1,000,000 people to register for a race using their service this year. That’s a lot of turkey trots.
In many cases, these races are short. 5k’s are the most popular, but there are a number of variations from the one mile up to the 10k. My own local turkey trot – the Ashenfelter Classic – is an 8k.
But did you know that there’s a history of longer races – including marathons – that take place on Thanksgiving Day?
It’s not common, and there are no longer any major marathons on Thanksgiving. But there are a couple examples from history – including one major race that was tradition for over two decades.
There are also quite a few races that take place either the Sunday before or the Saturday after Thanksgiving. You might not consider these actual turkey trots. But their scheduling does make them a traditional part of the holiday season.
I researched the topic and wrote up a longer piece exploring the history of marathons on and around Thanksgiving. You can read that on Medium or request a special link to get you behind the paywall.
Below, I’ll share a shorter version with just the basic facts. Head over to Medium to read the longer piece.
Marathons on Thanksgiving Day
There are three major marathons that have taken place on Thanksgiving Day throughout history.
The first is the Yonkers Marathon. This is the second oldest marathon in the country, and for the first decade of its history it took place on Thanksgiving. This was back in the 1910’s. There was a break in the race’s history in the 1920’s, and it was on Thanksgiving for one year when it returned in the 1930’s.
The second is the Detroit Free Press Marathon. In its inaugural year – 1963 – this race was called the Detroit Motor City Marathon and it took place on Thanksgiving. It remained on that date for the next five years before eventually being rescheduled.
The third – and longest running turkey trot marathon – was the Atlanta Marathon. In 1981, the race – which was already about two decades old – was moved to Thanksgiving. It was an Atlanta tradition through 2009. However, Atlanta Track Club ended the marathon in 2009. They still host a half marathon on Thanksgiving Day that carries on the tradition.
Marathons the Saturday After Thanksgiving
There are a few major races that traditionally take place the weekend after Thanksgiving.
The longest running one is the Seattle Marathon. This race was on the Saturday after Thanksgiving from 1974 to 1998, with the exception of 1985. Since then, it has moved to the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
A smaller race – the Ghost of Seattle Marathon – also takes place this weekend. It only has a few hundred runners, and it is still on the Saturday following Thanksgiving.
The next permanent fixture on this weekend is the North Central Rail (NCR) Trail Marathon in Maryland. This race has consistently been the Saturday after Thanksgiving since 1990 – well over 30 years.
Another long time race is the Mississippi Coast Marathon – which has been rebranded the Stennis Space Center Marathon. Despite competition from another Mississippi Race only a couple of weeks later, this race has been going strong since the 1990’s.
There are a dozen or two other races throughout history that have taken place this weekend. But none of them have had a long history.
Marathons the Sunday Before Thanksgiving
Then there is the weekend before Thanksgiving.
The biggest of these is the Philadelphia Marathon. Since it’s the creation of the race in its current form in 1994, it has taken place the Sunday before Thanksgiving. It’s now part of my family tradition that marks the beginning of the holiday season – a weekend trip that involves Longwood Gardens, the Christmas Village, the Philadelphia Marathon, and a stop at the Reading Terminal Market to get a fresh turkey.
The Route 66 Marathon in Oklahoma is another large race. Its schedule shifted a few times throughout history, but since the 1990’s it has typically taken place the Sunday before Thanksgiving. There have been a handful of exceptions when it’s on a different date.
There are a number of smaller, less well known races that still take place. However, there were also a handful of races that used to take place this weekend.
That includes:
- The Greensboro Marathon – which is now the Greensboro Half Marathon
- The Greater St. Louis Marathon – which now takes place in April
- The Vulcan Marathon in Birmingham, which is now defunct
What About Four Marathons in Four Days?
If you’re particularly crazy, you can also run four marathons in four days.
Currently, there are two opportunities to do so that I know about.
In Seattle, the Wattle Waddle is on Thanksgiving Day. The Wishbone Run used to take place on Black Friday, but it looks like the race died out with COVID. But you can run the Grateful Runners Turkey Revenge on Friday. After that, the Ghost of Seattle Marathon is Sunday … followed by the Seattle Marathon.
Historically, you could run these four races – ending with Seattle – as the Quadzilla. But recently, the group organizing the Quadzilla has replaced the Seattle Marathon with their own, smaller race – It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.
Northwest Endurance Events used to host both the Wattle Waddle and the Ghost of Seattle Marathon. However, Hudson Beeks now hosts the Wattle Waddle, as well as the Grateful Runners Turkey Revenge, and as of 2024 the Ghost of Seattle is hosted by NW Ultras.
There’s also a Texas Quad in Dallas – featuring four races over the same four days.
If you’ve got the stamina for either of these challenges … I salute you. And I will not be joining you.
Would You Run a Turkey Trot Marathon (or Half Marathon)?
Given the chance, would you run a marathon for a turkey trot? Or do you prefer the shorter races that are more typical?