Kent Turkey Trot

Kent Turkey Trot is a Thanksgiving Day run and walk held in Kent, Ohio, on November 26, 2026. The program opens with a Fun Run at 9:00 a.m., whose distance is not specified, followed by the main 5K (3.1 miles) at 9:15 a.m. The event is designed for all ages and keeps a festive holiday atmosphere, with awards for the top finishers and medals across the age categories. The first 900 pre-registered runners receive a winter hat or a sweatshirt, and Fun Run participants get a T-shirt.

The run/walk format means you set the intensity. If you want to race the 5K, the mid-morning start gives you time for a relaxed breakfast and a ten-minute warm-up jog with a couple of strides; a few weeks of short intervals on top of steady easy running will have you sharp. If you are walking or jogging with family, a couple of comfortable 3-mile outings in the weeks before are all it takes. Northeast Ohio in late November is cold, so plan on gloves and a hat for the start, which fits neatly with the winter-hat perk for early registrants.