Thanksgiving is usually associated with eating a massive amount of food and watching football on TV before landing in a food coma. Earn your turkey and fixings by racing in one of metro Atlanta's turkey trots that are held on and around Thanksgiving this year. As a bonus, many races also serve as a fundraiser for a specific charity such as collecting canned goods for a local food pantry.
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Check out the following metro Atlanta turkey trots to work off some calories in advance and help your community in the process:
Acworth Turkey Chase. 7:30 a.m.-8:45 a.m. registration/get race number, 9 a.m. 5K run starts, 9:15 a.m. 2K walk start, 10 a.m. Little Pilgrim Trot Start. Saturday, Nov. 23. $5-$30, with discounts for registering before noon on Nov. 20. Free for kids age 5 and under. Main Street in downtown Acworth. https://www.acworthturkeychase.com/.
Bring a non-perishable food item on race day to receive your race number and long-sleeved T-shirt. Then walk, jog or run through downtown Acworth and along the shores of Lake Acworth.
Early Bird Turkey Trot Half Marathon/5K/10K/15K. 6:30 a.m. check-in and registration, 8 a.m. start for all races. $17. Saturday, Nov. 23. 200 Chastain Meadows Court, Kennesaw. https://fivestarntpq4.com/early-bird-turkey-trot-1.
If you've raced in any Five Star NTP races between Dec. 1, 2018 and Nov. 22 of this year, you can race for free. The race benefits The MS Center of Atlanta, and if you raise $200 or more, your entry fee will be refunded.
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Gobble Jog. 6:30 a.m. registration for untimed events only, 7:30 a.m. 10K run (timed), 8:45 a.m. 1K fun run/walk, 9 a.m. 5K (timed), 9:30 a.m. 5K run/walk (untimed) and 10:30 a.m. Tot Trot. $20 and up. Thursday, Nov. 28. Marietta Square, North Park Square, Marietta. https://must.enmotive.com/.
Packet pick-up is from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at the Cobb Civic Center, 548 South Marietta Parkway. Bring the kids with you, since free bounce houses will be available. The Gobble Jog benefits MUST Ministries, a non-profit organization that helps provide basic needs for people in Cobb and Cherokee counties, and you can help raise funds individually or on a team.
Five Star Turkey Trot 5K/10K/15K/Half Marathon. 6:30 a.m.-7:50 a.m. packet pickup, 8 a.m. race start. $17 in advance, $20 on race day. Thursday, Nov. 28. 3838 Johns Creek Parkway, just south of Kids R Kids, Johns Creek. https://fivestarntpq4.com/five-star-turkey-trot-1.
If you've raced in any Five Star NTP races between Dec. 1, 2018 and Nov. 22 of this year, you can race for free. The race benefits The MS Center of Atlanta, and if you raise $200 or more, your entry fee will be refunded. You'll be racing on a 5K loop, so if you and a friend are running races of different lengths, you can run the first part together.
Gwinnett Gobble Wobble 5K and Fun Run. 7:30 a.m. 5K (not timed), 8:30 a.m. (timed). Thursday, Nov. 28. $20 and up. Little Mulberry Park, 3855 Fence Road, Duluth. fundracers.org.
All pre-registered participants in the fifth annual Gobble Wobble will receive a Thanksgiving-themed long-sleeved T-shirt. The course is along paved paths in Mulberry Park, and participants are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to benefit local co-ops and food pantries.
Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, 5K, Mile & Dash. 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 28. Registration prices vary according to race and registration date. Georgia State Stadium, 755 Hank Aaron Drive, Atlanta. atlantatrackclub.org.
This Atlanta Track Club race will start under the Olympic rings and end with a post-race celebration at Georgia State Stadium. Clothing will be collected for the Atlanta Mission, so you're welcome to dress in layers and shed some of your clothes at the starting line or place them in bins onsite. Half-marathon and 5K runners will receive a long-sleeved T-shirt.
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Cambridge High School Boys Soccer Turkey Trot 5K & Fun Run. 7:30 a.m. check-in, 8:15 a.m. 1-mile fun run for kids 10 and under and 8:45 a.m. 5K run/walk. $35 5K, $25 1-mile fun run. Thursday, Nov. 28. Cambridge High School Stadium, 2845 Bethany Bend Road, Milton. cambridgebears.com.
Advance curbside check-in is available from 10 a.m.-noon on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at the CHS Stadium. On the day of the race, the school is collecting non-perishable food items for the North Fulton Community Charities.
