Turkey Trot 4.2-mile run/walk
A free, untimed Thanksgiving-morning run or walk from YMCA Park, with donations going to Stanly County Christian Ministries.
Photo: James Willamor / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (downtown Albemarle, not the event)
Source: Vac & Dash 24th Annual Turkey Trot 4.2-Mile Run/Walk on RunSignup ↗. Confirm details with the organizer before you go.
If your family likes to earn its Thanksgiving dinner, Albemarle has a tradition for that. The Vac & Dash 24th Annual Turkey Trot is a 4.2-mile run/walk that starts at 7 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, Nov. 26, at YMCA Park. It isn’t timed, so you can run it hard, jog it with friends or walk it with the stroller.
What to know before you go
- When: Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026. The start is at 7 a.m.; race-day registration opens at 6 a.m.
- Where: YMCA Park, Albemarle. RunSignup lists the address as 427 N. First St., Albemarle, NC 28001.
- Cost: RunSignup lists the entry price as $0. Turkey Trot apparel is sold separately: cotton long-sleeve shirts $15, long-sleeve Cool Max shirts $20 and hoodies $25.
- Registering: Sign up online on RunSignup ↗. The race description says online registration closes at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25; you can also register the morning of the race.
- Giving back: The race accepts monetary donations for Stanly County Christian Ministries through a donation page linked from the registration site.
- Questions: Use the “Contact This Race” form on the RunSignup page.
More ways to get outside this month
Before Thanksgiving, Atrium Health Stanly’s free Hike It! guided hikes at Morrow Mountain run on Saturdays, Nov. 14 and Nov. 28, at 8 a.m. The night before the Trot, Uwharrie Brewing hosts a Thanksgiving Eve Party, 6–10 p.m. See the full fall & holiday events calendar.
