Tri County Turkey Trot

Tri County Turkey Trot is held in Howard City, Michigan, on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2026. The event offers one format, a 5K run/walk that starts at 8:00 a.m. It is a simple holiday outing: 3.1 miles on Thanksgiving morning, open to both runners and walkers.

Because the 5K is offered as a run/walk, it fits a broad range of participants: families walking together, beginners trying their first timed event, and regular runners looking for a hard effort before the holiday meal. If you want to run it fast, six to eight weeks of consistent mileage with one weekly speed session and a longer easy run will sharpen your fitness. If you are walking or jogging, a few weeks of easy activity is all you need. A late-November morning in west Michigan can be cold, so bring a hat and gloves and warm up before the 8:00 a.m. start.