Carlisle YMCA Turkey Trot

Carlisle YMCA Turkey Trot takes place in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on Thanksgiving morning, November 26, 2026. Organized by the Carlisle YMCA, the event offers a single 5K (3.1 miles) that starts at 9:00 a.m. It follows the classic turkey trot template: a short community run on the morning of the holiday, easy to fit in before the meal and open to runners and walkers of every level.

A 9:00 a.m. start is late enough for a relaxed morning and a proper warm-up, which matters if you plan to run hard. Regular runners can treat the 5K as a season-closing time trial: taper for a few days, jog an easy mile beforehand, and keep the first half mile under control. Newer runners can prepare in six weeks with three short runs a week, adding a few minutes to one run each week until 30 minutes feels comfortable. Bring a layer for the wait at the start and shed it once the first mile warms you up.