Every year around this time thousands of runners — serious and not-so serious — participate in Turkey Trot events to win medals, bragging rights and raise money and donations for food banks and other charities.
Run Signup, a platform where runners can register for races, calls Thanksgiving “the biggest US running day of the year.” The site says almost 1 million runners across the country participated in Turkey Trots last year, believed to be a record.
Ken Gutman and his daughter Scarlett, 7, of Oakland, stretch as his wife and mother Shanon Hogan looks on before the start of the annual Oakland Turkey Trot at Lake Merritt in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
The main course, needless to say, is Thanksgiving Day. But many runners are lacing their sneakers for Trots this weekend.
Here is a look at some of the events being held around the Bay Area the next two weekends. The San Francisco Turkey Trot is already stuffed and not taking any more entries, so if you are interested don’t be a turkey and wait until the last minute.
Saturday, Nov. 23
Santa Cruz — Santa Cruz Turkey Trot
Davis – Davis Turkey Trot
Thursday, Nov. 28
San Jose – Silicon Valley Turkey Trot
Oakland – Oakland Turkey Trot
San Francisco – San Francisco Turkey Trot – NOTE: registration is closed
Walnut Creek — Walnut Creek Turkey Trot
San Ramon – Bishop Ranch Turkey Trot
San Mateo — Gobble Wabble
San Pablo – Nitro Turkey Thanksgiving Run
Concord — Concord Turkey Trot
San Leandro – The Animal Run 5k Tofurkey Trot
Piedmont – Piedmont Turkey Trot
Fairfield – Solano Turkey Trot
Novato – Bank of Marin Turkey Trot
Santa Rosa – Santa Rosa Turkey Trot
Petaluma – Petaluma Turkey Trot
Napa – Napa Valley Turkey Chase
Healdsburg – Healdsburg 5K Turkey Trot
Saturday, Nov. 30
San Francisco – Gobble Wobble Turkey Trot
Fremont – Quarry Turkey Half Marathon
