Cold Turkey 5K and Little Turkeys Fun! Run/Walk (ALWAYS Thanksgiving Morning)

Cold Turkey 5K and Little Turkeys Fun! Run/Walk (ALWAYS Thanksgiving Morning) is held every year on Thanksgiving morning in Franklin, North Carolina, this time on November 26, 2026. The Fun Run/Walk (1 mile) starts at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K (3.1 miles) follows at 9:00 a.m. The event raises money for Macon County Special Olympics, supporting local athletes and community involvement in endurance sports. Awards go to the top runners and participants, and T-shirts are provided to early registrants, with limited availability on race day.

The staggered starts let families do both events, with kids taking the 1-mile before the adults line up for the 5K. For the longer race, a beginner can prepare in four to six weeks with three easy runs per week, while a regular runner can turn it into a season-ending PR attempt by adding a weekly interval session and resting the two days before. If you register late, keep in mind that race-day T-shirts are limited, so signing up early is the safer way to get one.