Entry through the organiser
Entry details on the organiser’s site →
The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.
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Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot
At a glance
- Race day
- The 2026 race
- Start
- 08:308:30 AM
- Distance
- 12.9 km8 mi
- 5K · 8 miles
- Entry fee
- US$46
- For the 2026 race
The course
The Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot offers a 5K and an 8-mile race, and has been a Thanksgiving tradition for over 55 years.
- A 5K or 8 miles on Thanksgiving morning5K or 8 miles, 55+ years of Thanksgiving mornings downtown.
- Start on Young Street, finish by noonStarts 8:30 and 9:00 on Young Street, course closed at 12:00.
- Six places to collect a bibPickup 21 to 25 November at six places; City Hall Plaza on the 25th.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
Whole courseGeometryA 5K or 8 miles on Thanksgiving morning5K or 8 miles, 55+ years of Thanksgiving mornings downtown.
The organiser describes the 5K as the race for beginners and families and the 8-mile as the one for more experienced runners. All proceeds go to the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas. Well-socialized dogs may join the 5K, and the first 750 dogs across the 5K finish line win a medal.
Sourced
Whole courseTacticsStart on Young Street, finish by noonStarts 8:30 and 9:00 on Young Street, course closed at 12:00.
On Thursday 26 November 2026 the wheelchair division goes first at 8:25, then the official 5K and 8-mile start at 8:30 and an additional start at 9:00, both on Young Street. Awards follow at 8:50 for the 5K and 9:15 for the 8-mile. The timed corral opens at 7:30 and only timed bibs are eligible for age-group and overall awards.
Sourced
Whole courseCrowdSix places to collect a bibPickup 21 to 25 November at six places; City Hall Plaza on the 25th.
The organiser lists the Plano, Coppell, T. Boone Pickens and Moorland YMCAs, Luke’s Locker on Mockingbird Lane, and City Hall Plaza at Young and Akard Street, which is open on Wednesday 25 November from noon to 6 PM. Someone else may collect a packet with the participant’s name, birthdate and confirmation number.
Sourced
Race weekend
Bib pickup at Plano, Coppell, T. Boone Pickens and Moorland YMCAsSaturday 21 November Bib pickup
-
10:0010:00 AM–17:005:00 PM
Packet pickup opens Plano, Coppell, T. Boone Pickens and Moorland YMCAs. Moorland closes at 3 PM. Pickup runs through Wednesday 25 November; Luke's Locker on Mockingbird Lane opens 10 AM to 6 PM on the Saturday.
Wednesday 25 November Last bib day
-
12:0012:00 PM–18:006:00 PM
Packet pickup at City Hall Plaza City Hall Plaza, corner of Young and Akard Street
Bib in hand?A number belt holds it without pins through your race top. Clip it on tonight.
Number belt on AmazonAmazon partner link
Thursday 26 November Race day
-
07:307:30 AM
Timed corral opens For timed runners only, no dogs or strollers. -
08:108:10 AM
Opening ceremony Young Street -
09:159:15 AM
8 mile awards Winner's Tent -
12:0012:00 PM
Course closes and streets begin to reopen
Other races and side events (6)
-
07:007:00 AM
Family Zone and Sponsor Row open -
08:258:25 AM
Wheelchair division start Young Street -
08:308:30 AM
Official start, 5K and 8 mile Young Street -
08:508:50 AM
5K awards Winner's Tent -
09:009:00 AM
Additional start, 5K and 8 mile Young Street. Participants begin lining up at 8:55. -
10:1510:15 AM–11:4511:45 AM
Turkey costume contests Competition stage, Akard Street. Dogs at 10:15, individuals at 10:45, groups at 11:15.
Times as published by the organiser, in Dallas time, checked . Confirm on their site before you travel.
The forecast for Thursday
Race morning, on the record
We hold no start time for this race, so the record is read at 09:009:00 AM, local time.
Add to calendar .ics file, times in Dallas time
Entry
Race fuel
Energy gel
No gel needed at this pace
Finish
One every 40 minutes, by the clock:
Under about 75 minutes most runners need no gel: water at the aid stations does it.
For your long training runs:
Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side. Enough for race day and two test long runs.
Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.
Order by 5 November to test them on two long runs first.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.
Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.
Anti-chafe
Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml
An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.
Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.
Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Number belt
Compressport Race Belt
Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.
Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.
Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Electrolytes
SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20
One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.
One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.
Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Blister plasters
Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6
One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.
Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.
Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Keep exploring
More races to look at after the Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot.
