San Jose's Thanksgiving Turkey Trot Gives All Proceeds to Four Nonprofits
America's largest Thanksgiving Day race: a flat, fast 5K and 10K through downtown San Jose, a costume contest at the start line, and every entry fee going to four Bay Area nonprofits.
🦃 Race Morning in Downtown San Jose
🏁 Start Line and Race Morning Timing
The 5K, the 10K and the walkers share one 8:30 start at West Santa Clara Street and North First Street. Pick up your bib between 7 and 8:30, and be in your corral by 7:50. There is no on-site registration: if you decide that morning, sign up on your phone before 8:30 and walk straight to the bib tent. The costume contest is judged on First Street at Santa Clara at 7:45, awards follow at 10, and gear check closes at 11:30. Parking at the SAP Center is free and most downtown meters are free on Thanksgiving Day; Highway 87 at Julian closes to traffic after 7:45. If parking is packed, ride VTA: entrants ride light rail and buses free on race day by showing a bib, and Caltrain has no early enough train.
🦃 Where the Entry Fee Goes
Registration for the 5K and the 10K is $60.50 including the $5.50 fee, and the price rises after November 20 at 11:59 PM Pacific time; entry covers the shirt, the bib and professional timing. All event proceeds are donated to Healthier Kids Foundation, HomeFirst, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley and Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County, and the organizer counts $13 million donated and more than 10 million meals. The kids race is $33 including a $3 fee.
🥧 Kids at 10:15, Then a Hot Meal Downtown
The Kids Fun Run starts at 10:15 in the Kids Fun Zone at Arena Green West, with 100 yards for ages 2 to 3, 200 for 4 and 5, and 300 for 6 and 7. A guardian has to stay with each child, and every child gets a shirt, a medal and a post-race snack. San Pedro Square Market is about 7 minutes on foot from the start; the market posts 11 AM to 10 PM Sunday through Thursday and 11 AM to midnight Friday and Saturday, with no Thanksgiving hours yet.
