Seneca High School Irish Turkey Run

Seneca High School Irish Turkey Run takes place in Seneca, Illinois, on November 26, 2026. The event, organized around Seneca High School, offers a single 5K (3.1 miles) with an early 8:00 a.m. start on Thanksgiving morning. It is a small-town holiday run designed to get runners and walkers out the door before the big meal.

With an 8:00 a.m. start, you will want to eat something light an hour or so beforehand and warm up briskly, since late-November mornings in northern Illinois are cold. The 5K distance suits a wide range of goals: a first race for someone finishing a couch-to-5K plan, a steady effort for a runner in the middle of a winter base phase, or a hard 3.1-mile test if you are sharpening speed. Six to eight weeks of three runs per week, with one slightly faster session, is enough to get you ready. Walkers are welcome at these community events and should simply start toward the back.