Long Island Turkey Trots on Thanksgiving Day 2026: Races from Montauk to Massapequa

ByPeter
Crowd of Thanksgiving morning runners, some in turkey costumes, racing down a tree-lined Long Island street in cold sunlight

Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026, and on that morning at least sixteen organized runs and walks across Nassau and Suffolk counties start between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m., most of them rain or shine. They range from a one-mile dash at a Shoreham school to a two-lap, six-mile race in Montauk, and their proceeds go to school programs, volunteer fire departments, food pantries and children’s charities. Every event below has a 2026 date posted on its own registration page as of October 30, 2026, and each section links to that page.

CBS New York report on a Long Island turkey trot (YouTube, CBS New York)

Shoreham, Kings Park and Huntington: the North Shore of Suffolk

For runners based near Mount Sinai and Port Jefferson, the closest start line is at Miller Avenue School in Shoreham. The Shoreham Wading River Community Programs Turkey Trot stages three starts in a tight sequence: a 1 Mile Run for ages 13 and over at 8:00 a.m., a 1 Mile Run for ages 12 and under at 8:15 a.m., and the 5K Run/Walk at 8:40 a.m. Proceeds go to the senior scholarship fund, and the race is held in memory of Paul “Coach K” Koretzki. Early bib pickup runs Wednesday, November 25, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the school.

Farther west, the Nissequogue River State Park Turkey Trot 5K starts at 9:00 a.m. at 799 St. Johnland Road in Kings Park, preceded by an untimed 1K for children 12 and under at 8:30. The Nissequogue River State Park Foundation, a not-for-profit that works to protect and enhance the park, is the beneficiary. The page lists cash prizes for the top three overall finishers and for the best Thanksgiving costume, and it welcomes walkers, wheelchairs and strollers.

Huntington’s entry is a four-mile race rather than a 5K. The Townwide Fund of Huntington Thanks4Giving 4 Miler begins at 9:00 a.m. at the American Legion Hall, 1 Mill Dam Road in Halesite, with a Family Fun Run at 8:30. Every entry is a donation, and all runner revenue goes to charities the Fund supports. The organizers describe the course as USATF certified, report a field of more than 2,000 runners, and list beer from Six Harbors Brewing Company at the finish line. Strollers, jogging carts, inline skates and dogs are not allowed on the course.

Parent and two children pinning on race bibs at a table in a school parking lot at dawn before a turkey trot

Dix Hills, Islip, Blue Point and East Moriches: central and southern Suffolk

Fire departments organize two of the largest runs on this side of the county. The Dix Hills FD Co3 5K Turkey Trot starts at 9:00 a.m. at 575 Vanderbilt Parkway, with on-site parking, and the registration page lists early pickup on November 24 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Station 1 on Deer Park Avenue.

In Islip, the Great South Bay 5K Turkey Trot is sponsored by the Islip Fire Department, and proceeds benefit the department. Check-in opens at 7:30 a.m., the National Anthem follows at 8:00, and the race starts at 9:00 from Richardson Lane and South Bay Avenue to a finish at the firehouse on Monell Avenue. The page lists medals for the first 800 finishers and a $5 50/50 raffle whose winning ticket is drawn by the last person across the line.

In Blue Point, the 19th Annual Blue Point Turkey Trot is based at 302 Middle Road, with a Kids Fun Run at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K, a 5K charity fundraising entry and a 1.5 mile walk at 9:00. The 5K and the walk are untimed, and the first five male and first five female finishers receive a pie. Charity entries benefit Kids Run Long Island, and Sal’s Pizza of Sayville is listed as host of a food drive at the event.

In East Moriches, the EMO Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk starts at 9:00 a.m. at East Moriches Middle School, 9 Adelaide Avenue. All proceeds benefit the East Moriches PTO, which funds health and wellness opportunities for students in the district. Race-day check-in runs from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. in the school cafeteria, and a USATF-certified course map is linked from the registration page.

The John Keeshan Memorial Montauk Turkey Trot

Montauk’s race has the longest history documented on its own page. According to its registration page, the event began in 1976, when John Keeshan and friends ran from the Village Green to the Lighthouse and back. The Town of East Hampton Recreation/Parks Department organizes it today, and a local newspaper counted the 2025 edition as the 49th annual running.

The 2026 race starts at 10:00 a.m. on the west side of the Circle, at 742 Montauk Highway, and registration stays open until 9:30 a.m. on race day. Participants choose a 3 Mile Run/Walk, which is one lap of the course, or a 6 Mile Run/Walk, which is two laps; an 11 Mile option exists for virtual entrants only. Medals go to the top three overall men and women in both distances, and the six-mile award requires crossing the finish line twice. The page lists the Montauk Food Pantry, the East Hampton Food Pantry, the Springs Food Pantry and Meals on Wheels under the event description and asks participants to arrive early because of an expected large turnout. Dogs are not permitted on race morning.

Runners crossing a finish line beside a calm bay and wooden dock as spectators cheer on a late-autumn morning

Glen Head, Glen Cove, Oyster Bay and Port Washington: Nassau’s North Shore

The Nassau County side of the Sound has the densest cluster of Thanksgiving races, and several start within a few minutes of each other. The North Shore Turkey Trot 5K starts at 9:30 a.m. at the North Shore Community Youth Organization, 200 Glen Head Road, with a Kids Fun Run of about a half mile at 9:00 for children 12 and under. Proceeds support the youth organization, and pre-registered runners receive a commemorative gift.

In Glen Cove, the Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk also starts at 9:30 a.m., from Glen Cove High School at 150 Dosoris Lane, on a USATF-certified course. All proceeds benefit Glen Cove Schools. Registration on the day closes at 9:10 a.m., awards are scheduled for 10:30, and pre-race packet pickup takes place November 25 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the high school gym.

The Oyster Bay Turkey Trot By the Bay runs a 5K that starts at 36 Audrey Avenue at 9:30 a.m. and finishes at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park. The organizers bill it as “The Longest Consecutive Turkey Trot in the Tri-State.” Four beneficiaries are named: Oak Cliff Sailing, Friends of the Bay, the Main Street Association and the Michael Rampanelli Memorial Foundation. The page notes that no day-of-race registration is offered and that race-day bib pickup is outside the LIRR parking lot starting at 8:30 a.m.

Port Washington’s Thanksgiving Day 5 Mile Run is the earliest start of the group at 8:30 a.m., from Manorhaven Beach Park, and benefits the Community Chest of Port Washington, which supports more than 30 local programs. It differs from its neighbors in several practical ways: the minimum age is 9, local roads close at 8 a.m., the Manorhaven Park lot is closed to participants, and free parking is listed at Soundview Marketplace and at the Stop & Shop on Shore Road. Finishers receive a medal and a long-sleeved T-shirt, and the first-place man and woman each receive a $1,000 grant to donate to a future Community Chest charity.

Massapequa, Garden City, Bellmore and East Williston: central and south Nassau

At John J. Burns Park, the Massapequa Turkey Trot 5K begins at 9:15 a.m. after a half-mile untimed Fun Run at 8:30. The 5K uses the interior loop of the park on a USATF-certified course, and proceeds are shared between the John Theissen Children’s Foundation and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Bagels and bananas are listed for after the race, and dogs are not permitted under Town of Oyster Bay law.

Garden City adds a five-mile distance. The Garden City Turkey Trot 5M starts at 10:00 a.m. at the St. Paul’s Recreation Complex, 285 Stewart Avenue, after a 1.4-mile Fun Run at 9:30 and a Challenger Division run at 8:30 a.m. for physically challenged competitors. The page names the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, The INN and Council 1869 as beneficiaries and recommends arriving at least 60 minutes before the start.

The Bellmore Merrick Turkey Trot 5K starts at 10:00 a.m. in the front parking lot of Mepham High School, 2401 Camp Avenue, following a free quarter-mile kids’ fun run at 9:30. North Merrick Fire Department is the beneficiary. A few miles north, the Village of East Williston Turkey Trot 5K begins at 9:00 a.m. at Devlin Field, 7 Bengeyfield Drive, with a free Drumstick Dash for children 8 and under at 10:00. Proceeds go to the East Williston Fire Department, and water and breakfast bars are provided.

Post-race breakfast table with bagels, bananas, coffee and pumpkin pie while runners in race shirts talk in the background

Registration, bibs and race-morning logistics

Registration fees differ widely from one event to the next, and nearly all of them rise in stages as November advances. As listed on the organizers’ pages, the 5K entry at the Shoreham-Wading River race is $28.63 early and $33.80 on race day, while the Port Washington 5 miler lists $80.38 for adults at the race-day tier. Prices on the pages were read on October 30 and can change, so each event page should be rechecked before registering. Almost every elitefeats page also states that fees are non-refundable and non-transferable from year to year.

A recurring deadline is November 1, the cutoff most of these pages give for a personalized bib. Later registrants, including those who sign up within 24 hours of the race, are told to expect their bib number by text message. Packet pickup falls on Tuesday, November 24, or Wednesday, November 25, for a number of events, and the evening-before window spares runners a crowded holiday-morning line. Pickup is usually available on race morning as well, but the Massapequa page describes race-day pickup as limited and advises collecting a bib the night before.

Most organizers also set rules about strollers and dogs. The Huntington and Port Washington pages prohibit strollers, and Montauk, Massapequa and Port Washington prohibit dogs, so families planning to run with either should read the individual page first. Nissequogue River State Park, by contrast, welcomes strollers and asks walkers and leashed pets to start at the back.

Several pages describe what happens after the finish line: free same-day finish-line photos at most of the elitefeats events, live results by text or email, and refreshments ranging from the bagels in Massapequa to the 50/50 raffle in Islip. For a post-race meal on the North Shore, the Heritage Diner is at 275 Route 25A in Mount Sinai.

A warm-up race on November 8 in Eisenhower Park

One Long Island turkey trot takes place well before the holiday. The Nassau County Turkey Trot is scheduled for Sunday, November 8, 2026, at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow. The 1K Kids Chase the Gobbler starts at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K events at 9:00. The page lists divisions for adult runners, jogging strollers and high school and youth runners, plus a virtual option, and it credits RaceAwesome.com as producer. No specific beneficiary is named, though the page encourages runners to bring food donations for those in need.

Runners who want a rehearsal before a Thursday race, or who face a Thanksgiving schedule that does not leave the morning free, can use it as a Sunday alternative.

All dates, times and fees were taken from the organizers’ own pages on October 30, 2026, and can change. Event details should be confirmed on each registration page before race day.

Sources

Peter Kalafatis

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