Runners will lace up on Thanksgiving morning for the Webster-Kirkwood Turkey Day Run, but this year they will start from a different spot than usual. Organizers have modified the race course because of ongoing construction at the Kirkwood Train Station, moving the starting line to a new downtown intersection for the Thursday, November 26 event.
The race, which organizers describe as the 44th edition of the event, is hosted jointly by the Kirkwood and Webster Groves parks and recreation departments, according to timesnewspapers.com. A Kirkwood Parks and Recreation events page, however, lists the race as its 42nd annual edition, a discrepancy that remains unresolved between the two sources. Big River Running is also listed as a sponsor of the run, according to a Webster Groves Parks Recreation Facebook post.
Because of the train station work, the start line has been relocated to the corner of Adams and Taylor, with the finish now set up in front of the Kirkwood library, per timesnewspapers.com. Runners can choose between a 3-mile race starting at 7:30 a.m. or a 6-mile race starting at 8:10 a.m., both launching from downtown Kirkwood, according to runsignup.com. Those who would rather skip the holiday crowds can also complete either distance virtually.
Registration Deadlines and Pricing
Registration is open through November 26 at 11:59 p.m. CST, the same day as the race itself, the site notes. Signing up costs $25 through November 20, with prices rising after that date, timesnewspapers.com reports; the exact increased price was not specified. The first 5,000 people to register will receive a special giveaway, though organizers have not detailed what that giveaway includes, per the same Facebook post.
Packet Pickup and Race History
Packet pickup is set to begin in early November, with runners able to collect their materials at either the Kirkwood Community Center or the Webster Groves Recreation Complex, according to runsignup.com's event FAQ. A specific start date of Tuesday, November 10, is also listed on that FAQ page. The event bills itself as the St. Louis region's largest and oldest Thanksgiving Day run, per runsignup.com.
The Thanksgiving tradition's rerouted course marks one of the more notable logistical shifts in recent years. Anyone planning to join the 3-mile or 6-mile race downtown should take note of the new Adams and Taylor starting point well before race morning.
