Turkey Trot 5K - Springfield
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32nd Annual Turkey Trot 5K
The Turkey Trot is a timed 5K run/walk held on Thanksgiving Day in downtown Springfield. The 2026 edition is the 32nd annual event and takes place on Thursday, November 26, 2026. The event is presented by CoxHealth and is described as Springfield’s largest timed 5K and the largest Thanksgiving Day 5K in Missouri, attracting more than 7,000 participants in an average year.
Proceeds benefit the Springfield-Greene County Park Board Youth Recreation Scholarship Fund and the Developmental Center of the Ozarks (DCO). The scholarship fund helps youth who qualify for free and reduced meals to participate in Park Board programs, sports, summer camp and other fee-based activities; since 2009 the fund has awarded more than 10,597 individual scholarships. DCO provides therapies and educational support for infants and children with developmental delays, inclusive childcare and preschool for children six weeks through six years, and daytime education, training and employment services for adults with disabilities.
Packet pick-up and in-person registration occur at the Springfield Expo Center, 635 E. St. Louis, on the day before the race and on race morning. Registration fees listed for in-person registration are $45 for adults and $40 for children 12 and under. Participants are asked to bring seven nonperishable food items for Ozarks Food Harvest; historically the event serves as one of the largest one-day food drives and in 2025 participants donated more than 185,027 pounds of food. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
