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Holiday themed events are fairly common these days. They are also a great way to get out, have some fun, and get some exercise. We’ve already talked about running with the zombies for Halloween, so naturally, that means we can now begin making plans for a Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot.

Image courtesy Flickr user Brian Cribb using Creative Commons

What some may not realize is just how long the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot has been around. The YMCA Buffalo Turkey Trot has been dubbed the oldest continually run public footrace in North America. And for reference, this is a Thanksgiving Day race that kicked off in 1896 and has been run every year since. The YMCA Buffalo Turkey Trot is an 8k event and it now attracts more than 14,000 runners.

But while the YMCA Buffalo Turkey Trot has laid claim to being the oldest in North America — it cannot claim being the largest. The Tampa Bay Times Turkey Trot is said to be hosting over 17,000 runners. The Tampa Bay Times Turkey Trot, similar to other Turkey Trot events, is charity friendly. In this case the race proceeds go to support local charities and all collected foods go to a local food pantry program.

The Tampa Bay Times Turkey Trot may be closing in on 20,000 registered runners but it still isn’t able to lay claim to being the largest Turkey Trot. The YMCA Dallas Turkey Trot has laid claim to being the largest and is currently attracting roughly 27,000 runners. The YMCA Dallas Turkey Trot also saw a record attendance back in 2011 with more than 35,000 runners.

With numbers like those it seems there are plenty of people willing to dress up as a turkey and run for fun.

Online searches for Turkey Trot events turn up almost countless results so you may want to look locally. We suggest asking local runner friends, or checking with local run groups or local running stores. Of course, hitting up your favorite online race registration website is also an option — provided you narrow things down by zip code.

Along with looking for a local race, you may want to consider a few other options before making a final decision. Some of the races we found cater to runners in search of a PR, and some cater to those looking for a more casual experience. Some were also explicitly dubbed as being family friendly. Race distances also varied with popular options including 1 mile fun runs as well as 5k, 8k, and 10k distances.

Many of these Turkey Trot events also give prizes. Popular Turkey Trot prize options include frozen turkeys for top finishers, medals for those who cross the finish line, and a best dressed option for those willing to run dressed in a turkey costume.

Prizes aside though; running in costume, running with friends and/or family, and possibly supporting some local charities all sound like good enough reason to get up early on Thanksgiving Day. And thankfully — due to the amount of Turkey Trot events we are fairly certain you’ll be able to find one that meets your needs.