Some families start Thanksgiving with the parade on TV. Ours starts at a start line.
We’ve been at this race since the very beginning. The inaugural Gobble & Go in 2024 was a rainy one — we ran it anyway, in matching turkey hats and bright yellow jackets, and it doubled as my child’s longest run at the time. Last year we were back: turkey beanies on, bibs pinned (21, 22 and 24, if you’re keeping score), my son out there running it with us.
The course delivered exactly what a hometown turkey trot should — neighbors everywhere, at least one runner in a full inflatable turkey costume, and that particular Thanksgiving-morning energy where everyone’s a little chilly, a little cheerful, and already negotiating seconds at dinner. I finished the morning in an “I Came In Like a Butterball” shirt, because if you’re not committing to the bit at a turkey trot, what are we even doing?
I never wrote it up last year. Consider this the recap and the invitation — because I’m going back, and 2026 sign-up is open now.
Gobble & Go 5K — the 2026 details
- When: Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 26, 2026, 9:00 a.m. (check-in opens 8:00 a.m.)
- Where: The District at The Park (formerly Connell Park), 100 Connell Drive, Berkeley Heights
- What: A 5K run or walk — and new for 2026, a brand-new USATF-certified 5K course
- Cost: $30 now; the price goes up to $35 after November 12
- The deadline that matters: register by Thursday, November 12 to guarantee your race T-shirt (and the lower price)
- Packet pickup: Wednesday, November 25, 4:30–6:30 p.m. at Berkeley Heights Town Hall, 29 Park Ave (race-day pickup also available, 8:00–8:45 a.m.)
- Extras: a Thanksgiving costume contest, a Thankfulness Wall, and snacks at the finish
- Register: RunSignUp — search “Berkeley Heights Gobble Go,” or use the link the township is sharing
Why this one
The Gobble & Go is in its third year in 2026 — and so are we! Three editions, three Thanksgiving mornings, and it’s already a real Berkeley Heights tradition: nearly 500 people registered last year, and the first two editions raised more than $22,000. This year the proceeds support the Berkeley Heights VFW and local veterans, which makes the entry fee feel less like a race cost and more like a donation you get to run for.
It’s also the easiest “yes” on the fall calendar: 3.1 miles, done by 10 a.m., home before the turkey’s even in trouble. Walk it, run it, push a stroller, wear the turkey hat. Four days after the Philadelphia Marathon, I will be out there decidedly not racing it — and that’s the other thing I love about this race. It meets you wherever you are.
See you out there?
If you’re local and you’ve been meaning to start a Thanksgiving tradition that isn’t just eating — this is a very good one. Sign up by November 12, and say hi if you see me. I’ll be the one taking it extremely easy. 🦃
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