5K Turkey Trot: Is it a lot of fun or does it just add to the holiday spirit?
Mackenzie Salmon asks current and former NFL players how they would feel if they woke up on Thanksgiving morning and ran a 5K Turkey Trot.
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If you’re planning a turkey trot this Thanksgiving, you have a chance to win free food from Qdoba, but there’s a catch.
The fast-casual Mexican food chain is launching the Qdoba Turkey Trot Challenge, inviting runners across the country to dress up like a Qdoba burrito for a chance to win free burritos for a year and receive free burrito rewards in their Qdoba Rewards accounts.
To participate, runners must wear a burrito costume for the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot on Nov. 27, take a photo at their local race, post it on Instagram with the hashtag #QDOBA_Giveaway, and tag Qdoba in their post.
To be eligible, participants must be a Qdoba Rewards member and follow Qdoba on Instagram, the company said in a news release. You can participate in Qdoba Rewards at any time through Qdoba.com or the Qdoba mobile app. New users receive free chips and queso just for joining.
Additionally, you don’t have to call your race a “turkey trot” to qualify. Qdoba said in a news release that community races and runs held on Thanksgiving are fine.
“Turkey trot brings communities together in a special way, and at QDOBA we are passionate about doing the same for bold and delicious flavors,” said John Burke, QDOBA’s chief marketing officer, in a news release.
When did turkey trotter start?
Industry experts say Thanksgiving has become arguably the biggest running day on the calendar, making the annual turkey trot an ideal entry point for serious and casual runners to take part in a holiday that essentially brings families together.
The YMCA Turkey Trot in Buffalo, New York, was founded in 1896 and is believed to be the world’s oldest continuously held foot race. The first race pitted six runners against each other in a five-mile cross-country race on dirt roads. As many as 14,000 runners will take part in the 130th annual race on November 27, 2025.
Online race management tool website Run Signup told USA TODAY last year that more than 1 million participants had registered for 922 Thanksgiving races as of the Monday before Thanksgiving.
Johanna Good, Run Signup’s marketing director, told USA TODAY last year that she estimated her company’s U.S. market share for online race registration was approaching 50%. She also said Thanksgiving race participation at Run Signup increased by 10%, with races ranging from 10 to 20,000 runners.
Asked why turkey trotters are so popular, Good told USA TODAY, “It really has to do with it being a family vacation.” “Multi-generational families are together and want to do things together. This allows multiple people to participate and builds family traditions.”
Contributor: Mark Giannotto, USA TODAY
Gabe Hauari is USA TODAY’s national trends news reporter. You can follow him at X @gabehauari Or email Gdhauari@gannett.com.
