Where to run a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving | November 24

Turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie. It’s a meal fit for a king, or a queen, and it’s hitting our tables (or the restaurant menus) in a few short days. But before that Thanksgiving meal does its traditional damage, derailing those diets and hitting off the perennial holiday weight gain, we can at least try to give ourselves an extra burn in the calorie bank. Thanksgiving might be known as a food-consumption marathon, but who said running—and no, not 26.2 miles as a foot race marathon would dictate—a turkey trot can’t be part of the tradition, too?

If you’re thinking you need a reason to lace up your running shoes come Thursday (or an excuse to arrive at Grandma’s a little later than planned), here are a few options for where you can go hob nob gobble at races in and around the city.

Turkey Trot Chicago. Celebrating 34 years of running, the same number as the Chicago Marathon, this 8K is practically a Chicago Thanksgiving tradition based on years alone. Gather in Lincoln Park with the runners and non-runners (hey, there’s a walk, too) of your family and hit the path with roughly 5,000 other participants.

North Shore Turkey Trot. Missed out on a wind jacket at this year’s Hot Chocolate race earlier in the month? RAM Racing can top it with a fleece jacket if you’re willing to trek it up to Highland Park for this 5K.

Edison Park Turkey Trot. Whether you want to stay put on the northwest side or explore a different part of town, you can at this neighborhood 5K. And even if you decide at the last minute that you want to run, you won’t have to fret about expensive race-day registration costs that often turn off runners (or this runner). At $25, you’ve practically entered a time machine that dropped you off circa 2005.

Old St. Pat’s Turkey Trot. To participate in this trot, all you have to do is bring yourself to Old St. Pat’s Church at Adams and DesPlaines to check-in at 7:30 am. What it lacks in race fee, timing and a set distance it makes up for in social gathering and fun.

Turkey Trot 5K at Grant Park. Can’t run on Thursday because you’ll be out of town? Save your running legs for Saturday, November 26, when this new 5K hits Grant Park. You may have over indulged on Thanksgiving but no one said you couldn’t try to remedy the situation after the fact.

Need more ideas for where to run? Local and national calendars can help you find a race near your Thanksgiving location.