Not only is Thanksgiving day the start of the annual Runner’s World Run Streak, it is also one of the most popular running days of the year thanks to the beloved turkey trot.
According to a report from RunSignup—a racing registration platform—756,894 people participated in 730 turkey trots this year. (We should mention that RunSignup is not the only registration platform so the actual numbers of turkey trot participation are higher.)
Since 2016 there hasn’t been a comprehensive report on turkey trot numbers—that’s when Running USA last released one—but even six years ago it was evident that Thanksgiving continues to draw more runners than any other day. According to that now-aged report, between 2015 and 2016, turkey trot finishers grew 6 percent, surpassing 900,000 finishers.
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Let’s take a look at this year’s turkey trot numbers and how they compare to years’ past.
Turkey trot registrations got a bump since 2020
In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thanksgiving day race numbers dropped by 75 percent, according to RunSignup data. This year, registrations on RunSignup were up 22 percent compared to last year, when some races returned to normal and others still offered virtual participation.
This year’s numbers were up 41 percent compared to 2019, when we were all blissfully unaware of what was to come.
Larger-than-average field size
There is no shortage of small, community races, particularly 5Ks, throughout the year. But RunSignup found that Thanksgiving day races tend to be larger than average: Just 3.7 percent of races held between January and October of this year exceeded 1,000 participants (based on RunSignup registrations). On turkey day? Thirty-one percent had more than 1,000 participants, and 2.9 percent were larger than 5,000.
There are plenty of small races: RunSignup points out that more than half of races hosted on its registration site are fewer than 500 runners.
Virtual turkey trotters
The virtual race was a saving grace for many runners and race organizers in 2020 and for much of 2021. But as the pandemic subsides, people are less likely to choose virtual participation. According to RunSignup, more than a quarter of the races it hosted on its registration platform provided a virtual option (or were fully virtual), but just 1.7 percent of runners chose to participate that way. The pandemic has given virtual racing a boost; RunSignup says a virtual race was 750 percent more likely to be chosen than in 2019.
Running for good
Turkey trots kick off the season for giving, and it shows. According to RaceSignup, 78 percent of turkey trots are organized by a non-profit organization or supported by one or more charitable organizations. This year, nearly 60,000 donors raised more than $1.8 million for charities through Thanksgiving day races. That number doesn’t include additional contributions raised through event sponsorships or operations.
RunSignup breaks down those donations, to show an average of $3,311.93 per race.
A family affair
Thanksgiving is a day for family, and that includes logging those morning miles together. In 2021, turkey trotters in the 18 to 29 age group made up 12.8 percent of a race, and this year it jumped to 19.6 percent. Runners in the under 18 age group went from 18.3 percent in 2021 to 20 percent in 2022.
Heather is the former food and nutrition editor for Runner’s World, the author of The Runner’s World Vegetarian Cookbook, and a seven-time marathoner with a best of 3:31—but she is most proud of her 1:32 half, 19:44 5K, and 5:33 mile. Her work has been published in The Boston Globe, Popular Mechanics, The Wall Street Journal Buy Side, Cooking Light, CNN, Glamour, The Associated Press, and Livestrong.com.
