The kids are bouncing. Your cousin is wearing a turkey. Someone’s trying to squeeze three generations and a stroller into one photo. Beneath the big ENCINITAS sign, the crowd is buzzing, the countdown is coming, and Thanksgiving already feels like a party.
Welcome to the Encinitas Turkey Trot. Bring your people. Bring your turkey hat. The good serving platter can wait.
On Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, Nov. 26, downtown Encinitas becomes the family gathering before the family gathering. Strollers line up beside costumed fun-runners. Friends spot each other across the crowd. The in-laws are out of the house, breathing ocean air, and suddenly everyone has something to talk about besides who’s making the stuffing.
This is why “a family tradition” fits so well. You get moving, get a little silly and start the holiday together in a healthy way.
Find your flock
Choose the 5K or 10K, or sign up children 7 and under for the free Kids-K, a 1K Fun Run. Jog with friends, walk with Grandma or push the stroller. Nobody needs a training plan to have a great morning.
The real show is along the coast. Sunshine spills over the bluffs, the Pacific sparkles beside you, and the coastline south of Swami’s Beach delivers the kind of view that makes you remember why you live here. Breathe in that cool salt air. Wave to a neighbor. Try not to get passed by your uncle in a full turkey suit.
Speaking of outfits, the costume contest offers $300, $200 and $100 prizes for standout individual and group looks. Coordinate the cousins. Assemble a flock. Embarrass your teenagers just enough to get a good photo.
Finish happy. Feast happier.
Then comes the finish line: cheering, grinning kids and that wonderful feeling that you’ve already done something good together. The whole holiday is still ahead. Your favorite people, your favorite foods, a kitchen that smells incredible and absolutely no shortage of pie.
This year’s finisher medals are bigger and better than ever, and every runner receives a high-quality race T-shirt with registration. There’s your Thanksgiving outfit. The medal is optional at dinner, but we support the decision.
Good people making good things happen
Sharp Tri-City joins this year as a new healthcare sponsor, supporting a tradition that gets families moving and brings neighbors together.
“We’re excited to welcome Sharp Tri-City into this healthcare partnership and build a long-term relationship that helps create a healthier community,” said race organizer Steve Lebherz. “We’re also grateful to the City of Encinitas for helping make Excelarace events safe and successful year after year. It takes great partners to put on a morning like this.”
Those partners include Hudson Safe-T-Lite, which handles road closures; Champion Risk & Insurance Services; and Encinitas Boy Scout Troop 776, keeping runners hydrated at a water station. Proceeds support the Veterans Association of North County and its work helping veterans and their families.
Save your spot, and save 20%
Registrations already span 43 states, including Hawaii and Alaska, and organizers expect a sellout at 6,000 participants. Meet beneath the Encinitas sign at Coast Highway 101 and West D Street. The 10K starts at 7:30 a.m., Kids-K at 7:40 a.m. and 5K at 8 a.m. Same-day registration may be available but at this pace the race is expected to sell-out, so early registration is recommended.
Want another coastal celebration on the calendar? Excelarace’s St. Patrick’s Day-themed Moonlight Beach Half Marathon returns March 14, 2027, with a half marathon, 10K and new 6K replacing the 5K. Green gear, ocean views and new age-group rewards are making it one of the region’s most anticipated half marathons. Visit moonlightbeachhalfmarathon.org.
First, get Thanksgiving sorted. Rally the family group chat, find those turkey hats and register at encinitasturkeytrot.org. Enter promo code COASTNEWS20 to save 20%.
