Thanksgiving Morning in Northeast Florida: Which Turkey Trot Is Right for Your Family?

If your Thanksgiving plan includes a run, a walk, or a good reason to get the kids out of the kitchen, now is the time to pick a race. Some have entry caps, one doesn't allow same-day sign-ups, and the price on three of them goes up in the next ten days.

Here are the Thanksgiving-weekend races I could confirm in Nocatee, Ponte Vedra Beach, St. Augustine, Palm Coast, and Atlantic Beach, with the start times, costs, and deadlines.

The quick version

• Sun., Nov. 22: Thankful Turkey Half Marathon & 5K, Nocatee. Price rises after Oct. 29.
• Thu., Nov. 26: Nocatee Turkey Trot (5K, 10K, kids run), 8 a.m. Price rises after Oct. 30.
• Thu., Nov. 26: First Coast Turkey Trot, Mickler's Landing, 8:30 a.m. No same-day registration.
• Thu., Nov. 26: Shut Up & Run 5K, Treaty Park, St. Augustine, 8 a.m.
• Thu., Nov. 26: Feet to Feast 5K, Palm Coast. Price rises after Nov. 2.
• Thu., Nov. 26: UF Health Jacksonville Turkey Trot, Atlantic Beach, waves from 7:30 a.m. Price rises after Nov. 13.

Nocatee and Ponte Vedra Beach

Psych Ed Connections Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot (Thursday, Nov. 26)

This is the 11th annual race, starting and finishing at the Nocatee Splash lot, 245 Nocatee Center Way. The Kids Fun Run starts at 7:30 a.m., and the 5K and 10K start at 8 a.m. The route runs through Nocatee neighborhoods and finishes on the wooded Greenway trail.

Registration on RunSignup is $55 for the 5K and $60 for the 10K until Oct. 30 at 11:59 p.m., then it goes up. The kids run is $20 until Nov. 24. All three events benefit Holly's Hope, a local St. Johns County charity. Packet pickup is at the YMCA at Nocatee, 400 Colonnade Dr., and someone can pick up for friends or family. The race runs rain or shine and doesn't offer refunds. Late registrants aren't guaranteed a shirt or medal.

First Coast Turkey Trot at Mickler's Landing (Thursday, Nov. 26)

A beachfront 5K and 1-mile fun run start at 8:30 a.m. at Mickler's Landing in Ponte Vedra Beach. On RunSignup, the 5K is $40 and the 1-mile run is $30. The first 50 kids ages 1 to 10 in each race run free. As of Oct. 27, the free kids 5K was sold out and the free kids 1-mile had only a handful of spots left. The paid 5K and 1-mile are also capped, so don't wait.

Two details matter here. There is no same-day registration, so you have to sign up online in advance. Packet pickup is Wednesday, Nov. 25, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Mickler's Landing, which is a tight window the day before Thanksgiving. Finishers get a medal, paid participants get a shirt, and the top overall male and female finishers win pumpkin pies.

Thankful Turkey Half Marathon & 5K (Sunday, Nov. 22)

If you'd rather run the weekend before, this one starts and finishes next to Nocatee Splash. The half marathon starts at 7 a.m. and the 5K at 9 a.m. The half is $60 and the 5K is $22, both rising after Oct. 29. A shirt is guaranteed if you register by Oct. 28. Packet pickup is Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. at the Nocatee YMCA, and same-day registration is available from 6 to 8:45 a.m. Register on the race page.

St. Augustine

Shut Up & Run 5K at Treaty Park (Thursday, Nov. 26)

Ancient City Road Runners lists this Thanksgiving-morning 5K at Treaty Park, 1595 Wildwood Dr. The page describes the course as a "nice cross country 5K course," and the race benefits St. Francis House, Ancient City Road Runners (for local school running programs), and Don's Friends. The race starts at 8 a.m. Registration is $35 plus a $3.10 sign-up fee, rising to $40 after Nov. 25.

Packet pickup is Wednesday, Nov. 25, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Service Pros USA, 1711 Dobbs Road, Unit 1, St. Augustine, or on race morning from 6:45 to 7:50 a.m.

Palm Coast and Flagler County

Feet to Feast 5K Run/Walk (Thursday, Nov. 26)

Palm Coast's Thanksgiving race starts on the east side of the Daytona State College Flagler Campus, with events running from 7:45 to 11 a.m. The 5K is $35 for ages 19 and up, rising after Nov. 2. The Student 5K, for ages 1 to 18, is $20. Packets are available in advance at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Pkwy NE, on Nov. 20 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.), Nov. 21 and 22 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), and Nov. 23 and 24 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Race-day pickup is available, but shirts are only available while supplies last. Register on RunSignup.

Flagler News Weekly reported a record 1,178 runners and walkers in 2025, so expect a crowd.

Jacksonville beaches

UF Health Jacksonville Turkey Trot 5K (Thursday, Nov. 26)

This 5K and 1-mile fun run start at Dune House Hotel & Spa, 1 Ocean Blvd. in Atlantic Beach. It benefits UF Health Jacksonville's brain-injury care and rehabilitation programs.

The 5K starts in waves by pace:

• 7:30 a.m.: Competitive wave
• 7:45 a.m.: 8- to 12-minute pace
• 8 a.m.: 13-minute-plus pace
• 8:10 a.m.: Sensory 5K
• 9 a.m.: 1-mile fun run

The individual 5K is $55.49 through Nov. 13, then $60.83. The 1-mile fun run is $39.44. Those amounts include registration fees. Packet pickup is at Dune House on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 24 and 25, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on race morning from 6 to 8 a.m. in the Junior Ballroom. Details are on the race listing.

How to pick

• Want the biggest "everyone's doing it" feel? Palm Coast's Feet to Feast drew more than a thousand people last year.
• Want the beach? Mickler's Landing. Register early, because there's no day-of option.
• Want a short, easy morning with kids? Nocatee's Kids Fun Run starts at 7:30 a.m., and the First Coast event has a 1-mile run.
• Want a trail-style 5K for a local cause? Treaty Park.
• Want a calmer start? The UF Health race has a Sensory 5K wave at 8:10 a.m.
• Not a runner? Walking is welcome at many of these, but check each race page for stroller and dog rules. I didn't confirm them.

Before you register

• Check the deadlines first. The Thankful Turkey shirt guarantee is Oct. 28, and prices rise Oct. 29 (Thankful Turkey), Oct. 30 (Nocatee), Nov. 2 (Feet to Feast), and Nov. 13 (UF Health).
• Plan the Wednesday. Mickler's Landing packet pickup is only 4 to 6 p.m. on Nov. 25.
• Rain or shine. The Nocatee race says no refunds. Read the refund policy before you pay.
• Thanksgiving is Nov. 26. Races start between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. in most cases, so plan the oven timer around it.

Bottom line

Pick the one closest to your kitchen, register before the price goes up, and confirm the packet pickup time. Everything else is a good excuse to be outside before the turkey comes out.

Run or walk a Thanksgiving tradition in your own neighborhood that isn't on this list? Send it my way. I'd like to add it for next year.

Race details come from the organizers' and calendar listings' pages as of Oct. 23, 2026, and can change. Confirm on each registration page before you pay.