Take Your Pick of Top Turkey Trots

Where: Buffalo, New York
Distance: 8K

Why We Like It: The longest consecutively run race in the country, this spirited 8K, now in its 121st year, helped spark the trend for turkey trots by routinely selling out. In 2015, there were 12,834 finishers. (Like huge crowds when you race? Try one of these Big City Marathons.) Nothing has stopped this race from starting since it began in 1896, including a freak blizzard in 2000 where Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello had to order the streets cleared for the race. (ymcabuffaloniagara.org)

Where: Cincinnati, Ohio
Distance: 10K

Why We Like It: When this family-friendly 10K kicked off in 1908, 21 runners took to the starting line. Since then it’s grown to nearly 18,000 participants and is in its 107th year. The sixth-oldest road race in the country and the Midwest’s oldest, the race covers three cities, three bridges, and the two states of Northern Kentucky and Ohio before culminating in a festive party. Children can now participate in the Turkey Day fun and run or walk in the new, noncompetitive McDonald's Kid Run that finishes before the start of the 10K. The course does a loop on second street, which allows the kids to start and finish the race under the official race banners—just like Mom and Dad. Temperatures at the starting line—at Paul Brown Stadium, home of the Cincinnati Bengals—are usually around (or below) freezing, making warm-weather gear quite necessary. (thanksgivingdayrace.com)

Where: New Orleans, Louisiana
Distance: 5 Miles

Why We Like It: This five-miler has been drawing runners for a pre-feast fete for 108 years. The course stays within the scenic City Park, passing such landmarks as the New Orleans Botanical Garden and New Orleans Museum of Art. (runnotc.org)

Where: San Jose, California
Distances: 5K, 10K

Why We Like It: Don’t let the name fool you: Tearing up this course, not trotting, is a better descriptor for the talent the race draws every year, with top runners in the invitational 5K competing for $12,100 in prize money. Set a U.S. record, and your purse could potentially jump another $5,000.

But it’s not all about the elites. The 28,000-strong event, the largest fully timed race on Thanksgiving, also includes a popular costume contest and has raised $5.9 million for local charities and food banks since kicking off 11 years ago. (svturkeytrot.com)

Where: Manchester, Connecticut
Distance: 4.748 Miles

Why We Like It: Now in its 80th year, New England’s most esteemed Thanksgiving Day, 4.748 mile race is also one of the country’s fastest. Elites lead the pack of 15,000 total participants. First in 2015 were Will Geoghegan, who finished in 21:34, and Diane Nukuri in 24:19. The event also includes additional prizes of $1,000 to the first male and female competitors who reach the top of the Highland Street Hill, an approximately one-and-a-half mile stretch near the two-mile marker. (manchesterroadrace.com)

Where: Oceanside, California
Distances: 5K, 10K

Why We Like It: When the going gets tough on the course, the spectacular California coastline in Oceanside, just north of San Diego, can provide jaw-dropping distraction with waves crashing against the rocks nearby. But don’t expect elites to take their focus off the finish line. (osideturkeytrot.com)

Where: Berwick, Pennsylvania  
Distance: 9 Miles

Why We Like It: Battling it out for bling always gets the competitive juices flowing for this longstanding nine-miler. In the race’s 109th year, more than 1,700 runners will compete for 22 diamond-centric top prizes: pendants for the women and rings for the men, across several different categories. And if that weren’t incentive enough, the entry fee tops out at just $35. (runfordiamonds.com)

Where: San Francisco Bay Area
Distances: 5K, 10K, Half Marathon

Why We Like It: Taking inspiration for its name from the area’s history as a former production site of gunpowder and dynamite, this quirky race features magnificent bay views, a route along dirt trails, and the annual rare appearance the Gobblus Nitrum, the event mascot who participates in a kids’ run. Post-Thanksgiving, the sister race, the Quarry Turkey 5K, 10K, or half marathon, boasts aid stations brimming with salty and sweet snacks, candy, sports gels, and pumpkin pie. And the custom finisher’s medal is sure to rule the roost among your race hardware as participants in both events earn the cleverly designed double medal, showing a tough-looking turkey standoff. (brazenracing.com)

Where: Plymouth, Massachusetts
Distances: 5K, 4.77 Miles

Why We Like It: Indulge in two servings of spirited competition in the very place where Thanksgiving started, with the 4.77-mile Plymouth Turkey Trot followed by the Pilgrim 5K. The Turkey Trot kicks off at Plymouth Rock and passes by the Mayflower II, which is a full-scale replica of the original Mayflower. The 5K route is along America’s first public road, Old Sandwich Road, built in 1630. (runsignup.com)

Where: Las Vegas, Nevada
Distances: 1 Mile, 5K, 12K, Half Marathon,

Why We Like It: Far removed from the glitz of the Strip, the recently graded course of this race, now in its 10th year, runs along an old railroad line through the Lake Mead Recreation Area. Runners pass through six tunnels on the way to the Hoover Dam—a landmark that’s been depicted on the finisher’s medal in past races. If the scenary isn’t enough to make you want to pack your bags, the race also supplies postrace food, a tech shirt, finisher medals, goodie bags, and overall and age group awards. (bbscrun.com)

Where: Honolulu, Hawaii
Distance: 10 Miles

Why We Like It: The course map isn’t available ahead of time at this popular, laid-back trot, but participants can count on spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, rugged mountain roads, and friendly volunteers along the course. The event, now in its 41st year, rewards accurate pacing and precise speculating instead of simply fast finishing times. Before the race, runners write their names and estimated finish on tongue depressors, and those finishing closest to their predicted times are the winners. (honolulumarathonclinic.org)

Where: Denver, Colorado
Distance: 4 Miles

Why We Like It: Running at altitude is a lot more fun when it’s through beautiful environs like Denver’s scenic, tree-lined Washington Park—and toward a beer garden. A prominent fundraiser for the United Way, this four-miler, now in its 43rd year, draws more than 20,000 runners and walkers. Toast at the finish line with craft beers from local breweries. (unitedwaydenver.org)

Where: Des Moines, Iowa
Distances: 5 miles, 5K

Why We Like It: The first annual Des Moines Turkey Trot kicked off in 2015 and brought more than 1,500 runners to the starting line. Runner’s begin the race in the heart of the court district, with the Des Moines courthouse as the backdrop. From there, the scenic route brings both 5K and 5 mile runners across the Des Moines River, through the Historic East Village, and around the State Capitol complex which offers the “most famous” view of downtown Des Moines. Children 6 years old and under can also partake in the holiday fun with the 200 meter Tot Trot race after the 5K and 5 mile races finish. The fun doesn't stop there—participants can finish off their race day at a postrace party. (www.desmoinesturkeytrot.com)